Obstacles
by The Irish Gleek
Summary: Chandler Bing knows his relationship with Monica is the best thing in his life. He's finally happy. So why does the universe feel that it must interfere? There's always another obstacle to overcome.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Friends, or any of the storylines, characters etc.**

**(Name) indicates a change in POV, and ### indicates the passing of time. :)**

"Leaving so soon?" Chandler turned towards the voice mumbling from under the blanket and sighed. It wasn't that he wanted to leave, but it was 6:30am, the time he always got up to leave. Originally, he had left at 5:30, but every morning she asked for just 5 minutes more.

And how could he refuse her?

He slowly turned over to face her. Monica Geller. Even now, at 6.35am, she looked beautiful. The strands of her short black hair were spread all over her pillow; her sleepy eyes were looking up at him; and that smile. This smile was his favourite. That early morning little smile, with the corners of her mouth slightly upturned as if she was smiling at some private joke between them, reserved for him and him alone. It was a shy little smile that begged him to stay with her for just a little while longer.

Chandler knew that this woman was the love of his life. He still wasn't exactly sure when this epiphany had hit him, but he knew that it was the best thing to ever happen to him. But he hadn't told her yet. He was waiting for the right moment; terrified that she wouldn't return his feelings and his world would come crashing down around him. Being with her was like floating through the sky, weightless, no limits. The world revolved around them, and as long as they had each other, nothing could stop them.

Chandler gently kissed her forehead and replied, "It's 6:45am. If I stay any longer, Rachel will catch me leaving."

He heard a muffled groan and he sighed again, running his fingers through his hair. "Mon, you know I don't want to leave."

Her head emerged from beneath the duvet. "I know, but it doesn't change anything... you know I don't want you to go."

His heart skipped a beat. They had been dating for about 8 months now, but he still got chills when she told him that she wanted him to stay with her. Never before had anyone made him feel so loved, so wanted, so needed. He grinned, and she smiled back at him, before pushing him off the bed. His smile faded, and he stood up, pulling on his pants and t-shirt. He looked at his watch. 6:50 am. Rachel's alarm would go off at 7am and he needed to be out of the apartment before that.

He quickly kissed Monica, whispered, "I'll call you on your lunch break," and disappeared out the door. He heard Rachel's alarm begin to ring as he left the apartment and told himself they would be more careful tomorrow.

###

Chandler looked at the pile of paperwork on his desk with disgust. He had worked hard all morning, waiting for 1 pm so he could call Monica and hear the sound of her voice. He missed her.

He laughed at himself. Before he had started dating Monica, he would have thought guys who missed their girlfriends after only a few hours were pathetic. But he understood now. He missed her laugh, her smile, how she felt in his arms; everything.

He was getting ready to leave for lunch when his secretary arrived with a large stack of paperwork which had to be filled in by this evening. It was days like this that made Chandler hate his job. He took the top sheet from the pile, skimmed through it, then threw it aside. He told his secretary he was taking lunch, then disappeared outside to call Monica.

He typed in the number slowly, wishing he'd remembered gloves and a coat. It was a freezing cold February day. He held the phone to his ear, balancing it on his shoulder as he rubbed his hands together repeatedly to keep them warm. Suddenly, he heard a loud, "Hey! Pick that up! Don't make me come over there mister!", at the end of the line and his day seemed better somehow, even though it didn't sound like hers was going well. "Hey Mon. Everything going okay?"

"No, everything is AWFUL. The restaurant is packed, two of the other chefs and a waitress called in sick so we're really understaffed, and a critic sent back his chicken because it 'wasn't tender enough'! I mean, my chicken is amazing! You've tasted my chicken." She paused for a minute, clearly waiting for Chandler to respond.

He quickly replied, "I'm sorry Mon, your chicken is amazing."

"I know right? It... Jack, the critic is looking bored, bring him some wine on the house!" she yelled at the unfortunate waiter standing at the kitchen door. "This is a disaster. Look, I'm sorry Chandler, I have to go." Her voice softened. "I'll talk to you later, okay sweetie?"

Chandler smiled. "Sure honey. I'll be home around 6, ok?"

"I probably won't be home until 7. It's going to be a long day. I have to go. Bye, sweetie."

**(Monica)**

Monica hung up the phone and went back to the kitchen and noticed that it was completely empty.

She was confused. Where had everyone gone? She looked out into the dining area to see and saw everyone making a run for the door. She suddenly felt warm, and as she went to take off her sweater she saw it; out of the corner of her eye, a huge flame billowing in the back of the dining room, spreading quickly. She turned and sprinted towards the back door of the restaurant, praying nobody was hurt. When she reached for the handle, and she realized it was locked. Feeling momentarily panicked, she tried to calm herself as she ran at the door. Her strength was rapidly depleting as the oxygen in her lungs was replaced by smoke, but she made a final push at the door, saw a flash of sunlight, and collapsed.

####

(**Chandler**)

Chandler hummed as he quickly walked home. It was 6:15, and he could not wait to see Monica.

He entered her apartment and yelled, "Honey, I'm home!"

He smiled and threw his bag on the couch, waiting for someone to appear. When nobody appeared or replied, he checked the rooms and realized they were all empty. Realizing that Monica was still at work and Rachel was probably with Ross or Phoebe, he went across to Joey's and found that empty too.

_Maybe they're at the coffee house_, he thought to himself. He quickly changed out of his suit and went down to Central Perk.

When he arrived, he noticed no one was in their usual spot. He went up to the counter and ordered a latte.

"Gunther, have you seen Phoebe or Rachel or anyone?" He asked.

Gunther looked surprised. "Sure, Rachel was here about an hour ago with Phoebe and Joey, but then Rachel got a phone call and they left in a hurry. She looked really worried, so I offered her a muffin. She smiled at me..." He smiled oddly to himself, and Chandler looked at him oddly in return. They all knew Gunther had a crush on Rachel but it still made them feel uncomfortable when he brought it up.

"Anyways," Gunther continued, "I haven't seen them since. Sounded like something bad had happened." He handed Chandler his latte and turned to another customer, leaving Chandler to wonder where everyone was and why nobody had called him. He dialled Ross's phone and but got no answer, so he tried Rachel. No answer there either. He tried Phoebe and Joey, no answer. Chandler was now very worried and figured that Monica would forgive him for ringing her at work. He called her phone 3 times before it picked up.

"Mon, hey, I'm sorry that I'm calling-"

"This is Alex Smith of the New York City Fire Department. Can I ask who's calling?"

Chandler's heart missed a beat. What had happened to Monica?

"Hello, this is Chandler Bing, Monica Geller's boyfriend. Where she is she?" he asked frantically.

"Sir, please calm-"

"Is she alright? What happened?"

He was panicking. He honestly didn't know what he would do if something happened to her.

"Sir, please calm yourself. I believe Ms. Geller is in a stable condition-"

"STABLE CONDITION? What happened? Is she in the hospital? Tell me what's going on!" Chandler yelled.

"Sir, I believe that Miss Geller is fine, although I wasn't actually at the scene myself-", the fireman replied.

"So you don't actually know ANYTHING?" Chandler yelled.

Chandler was still yelling when his phone beeped to tell him he had another call coming in. He took a deep breath and said, "I have another call, goodbye." The fireman clearly knew nothing about Monica. He clicked into the other call and heard the voice of Ross on the other end.

"Chandler, where are you? Monica just woke up, she's looking for you!"

Chandler couldn't believe it.

"Well considering I only just heard that something had happened about 5 minutes ago, I'm standing inside Central Perk wondering why none of my friends called me before now! Even Gunther knew something had happened! I should be one of the first to know, but instead I've spent the last 20 minutes wondering what was going on and yelling at some fireman who's about as clueless as I am!" Chandler yelled.

"Chandler, relax man! We only just realized that nobody had called you - I called Rachel when I heard, thinking you'd be with them at the coffee house, and she thought I had called you. Easy mistake. Just get to hospital and I'll explain everything when you get here, okay?"

Chandler sighed angrily. "I'm on my way." He hung up on Ross, then went outside and hailed a taxi.

"Hospital, as fast as you can," he said to the driver. He slumped in his seat and wondered what on earth had happened, and prayed she was okay. Ross had sounded pretty calm on the phone, so surely she was okay. Ross was usually a panicker if anything was even slightly wrong.

He wondered if Ross had called their parents. He knew that eventually Monica's mother would bring up the topic of Monica's love life, and he wasn't in any mood to watch Monica tell everyone that she still had no boyfriend. He knew it was ridiculous, but it still hurt. He wanted to tell the gang but he knew she wasn't ready. He wouldn't pressure her, though, because he knew she would tell everyone when she was ready.

Chandler sighed and sat back, wishing the driver would drive faster.

**A/N: Reviews, good or bad, are much appreciated. Thank you! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Just a quick thank you to everyone who read, review and followed this story - it means a lot to me that people like the story! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Friends, the characters, or the storylines... Or anything else, for that matter. **

The taxi came to a screeching halt outside of the hospital. Chandler threw some money at the driver and raced through the doors of the hospital.

"Monica Geller's room please," he said breathlessly. The elderly receptionist glanced at him, before typing something into her computer.

"I'm sorry sir, visiting hours have just ended."

Chandler checked his watch. 7:05pm.

He smiled at the receptionist.

"Her brother just called me and asked me to come visit. I only just got off of work." He gave her his best attempt at a charming smile.

She rolled her eyes. "Sorry sir, but visiting hours are over. You'll have to visit Ms. Geller tomorrow."

She returned to her computer, making it clear that the conversation was over. Chandler ran his fingers through his hair, frantic. He had to see Monica. He walked back to the entrance and called Ross' what seemed like an endless amount of rings, Ross finally picked up.

"Ross, it's Chandler. What room is Monica in?"

"306 man, come on up! She can't wait to see you," Ross said happily. He paused. "Although I'm not sure why. She is on a lot of pain medication though," he pondered aloud.

Chandler rolled his eyes. "Y'know I can still hear you, Ross."

"Just get up here alright? The nurse said if you don't get up here soon you can't come in. Visiting hours are over."

"So I've been told…" Chandler muttered. He hung up the phone and waited until the receptionist was dealing with someone else before making his way to the stairs. He found Monica's room easily and quietly entered, walking over to her bed.

"Hey you," Chandler said, smiling at Monica.

Standing with the rest of their friends on the other side of the bed,Ross looked at them curiously.  
"Chandler, you mind if we go get food or coffee or something?" he asked, gesturing to their other friends. "We haven't had dinner or anything and the nurse said it could be a long night."

Chandler tried to hide his smile. "Yeah, no problem guys. Take as long as you like." He grinned at them.

They all sighed in relief. "That's great!", "Thanks Chandler!", "Thanks buddy!" they all said in unison, quickly leaving Monica and Chandler alone in the room.

He smiled at her. "I missed you."

She smiled back. "I missed you too, Bing."

He sat down on the edge of the bed and gently kissed her cheek. When she reached over and took his hand in hers, he noticed the marks on her arms. It was then thathenoticedshe looked weak, her face paler than usual, her eyes didn't contain their usual sparkle, and, on a second glance, Chandler noticed a small cut on her forehead, trailing back into her hair.

"Oh my god, Mon. What happened?" he whispered.

Her smile faded. She sat up and leaned against the bed frame, staring blankly at the white wall of her room. "Out of control fire. One of the candles burned the tablecloth… The table caught on fire... Before I knew it, there was huge blaze." She took a deep breath before continuing. "All of the customers were exiting out the front, so I thought I'd try the back. It was shut tight; didn't wouldn't budge. I pushed at it a few times - that's what the marks on my arms are from - but the smoke was spreading too quickly… There just wasn't enough oxygen and I didn't have enough strength. I ended up collapsing just as I pushed the door open. I was told one of the customers called an ambulance. I regained consciousness here an hour or two later," she explained.

Chandler stroked her hand with his thumb absentmindedly. "Thank God you're okay. I was so worried when I didn't hear from you. I called you and this guy from the fire department picked up." He shuddered. "Dumbass," he muttered under his breath.

"Chandler sweetie, I'm fine, okay?" She laughed weakly. "You're so sweet to worry though. But I'm the least of your problems; my parents are coming to see me tomorrow. Don't be offended when I tell them I'm still single."

Chandler huffed. "Me? Offended?" He shook his head. "Never. I'm the one that does all the offending, remember?" he said while chuckling.

Monica forced a smile. "Yeah, but I know you. You'll get all angry and protective when my parents - well, my mother - starts giving me condescending looks and lectures about how I'll never find a man unless I do something with myself." She sighed. "And, of course, no conversation with my mother would be complete without her snide remarks about how much better Ross is than me." She looked down at their intertwined hands and smiled, shifting her position slightly to rest her head on his shoulder.

"Actually, maybe you should stay at home for that conversation. It's probably best that I see her on my own. She'll have less to make fun of if my friends aren't here," she said added sarcastically. Chandler, however, detected a hint of genuine sadness in her tone.

"I'll be fine Monica," he said. "Are you sure you'll be alright? I'll stay with you if you want, and I won't say anything about us. Promise." He smiled at her.

She squeezed his hand. "Thank you, but it's okay. My mother will get suspicious, and the last thing I need is twenty questions about why you're here. She doesn't know how to have a relationship with her daughter, but if her daughter has a relationship with someone else she'll sniff it out faster than Joey and a meatball sub," she said bitterly.

He looked at her sadly. "Mon…"

She shook her head. "Don't you go pitying me Chandler. I don't need that from you now," she said firmly, a slightly angry look on her face. At his surprisedexpression she softened. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for."

Chandler shook his head. "It's fine Mon. I know you're upset." He looked at her carefully. "You want to talk about it some more?"

She shook her head again, but he knew this wasn't over. He put his free arm around her and she moved closer to him. "Just forget about it Chandler," she whispered.

He sighed sadly. "Fine. Now, what did Ross mean about it being a long night? I assumed they were just keeping you overnight for observation." Chandler asked worriedly.

Monica didn't look at him.

"I'm fine. Ross just meant that he's staying in the hospital because he promised our parents he would. And he's real excited about it," she muttered. "Everyone else will be leaving when the nurse kicks you all out." She looked up at him.

"You'll have to go." she said quietly.

Chandler couldn't look at her. Leave her in the hospital? It probably didn't matter. Either way, he wouldn't get much sleep tonight.

There was silence for a few minutes.

"Chandler?"

"Yes, Monica?"

"You'll come pick me up tomorrow, won't you?"

Chandler had to laugh. "Of course I will. It's Sunday tomorrow, I'm not working. I'll pick you up, and we can spend the day together, okay?" He paused. "Well, until your parents get here anyway. Promise." He smiled at her, and sat back so she could lean against his chest. He stroked her hair and they sat quietly for a few moments.

Chandler wondered what her parents would say if Monica told them they were dating. It couldn't be that bad, could it? He thought they were reasonably fond of him; he had spent many a time day in the Geller house, and, apart from not eating Thanksgiving food, he thought he had got on rather well with them…

**(Monica)**

Monica wondered what Chandler would think if he knew that her parents had set her up on a date for next week. They had announced it on the phone when Ross called them to say Monica was in the hospital. It was so typical of them. Did they really think she was so hopeless that she needed her parents to set up dates for her? And of course, they saw nothing wrong on with announcing this news during a phone call about their daughter being hospitalized. It was like they didn't care.

_"They'd care if I was too sick to go on the date_," she thought bitterly.

She needed to tell Chandler... But now wasn't the time.

Her 'date' was a doctor, or maybe a nurse, her mother wasn't sure, ("Who cares, he's working his way up," she had declared, delighted.) in a hospital in Long Island, and supposedly a good friend of the family, although Monica had never heard of him or his parents. With her parents, however, it was never as simple as meeting a nice guy and thinking your daughter would like him. They were always polite and decent looking, but often plain and boring. Just what her parents wanted for her. But that wasn't what Monica wanted. She knew she only wanted Chandler.

She sat up quickly when she heard loud footsteps approaching their room. Chandler moved to sit on one of the uncomfortable chairs beside her bed.

The door burst open as the nurse entered with Monica's supper. She looked confusedly at Chandler.

"I'm sorry sir, but visiting hours are over. Miss Geller must eat now."

Monica sighed. Ross wasn't back, which meant she was probably going to be on her own tonight.

_Just great_, she thought.

She didn't really want to be on her own. She hadn't told any of them what the doctors had really said to her, preferring to stick to the "I'll be fine" response. The doctors had said there was only a small chance of the problem, anyway, so Monica had decided to keep quiet. Why worry everyone over a problem that might not be there?

**(Chandler)**

Chandler reluctantly got up from the chair. He looked at his watch and saw that it was 8:30. He kissed Monica's forehead and said, "I'll be back first thing tomorrow, okay Mon?"

She smiled. "I'll see you then."

He left the room and returned to reception, where he found Rachel, Ross, Phoebe and Joey arguing with the same receptionist Chandler had encountered earlier.

"Ross!" he called.

Ross turned around and saw Chandler leaving. He turned back to the receptionist and said "Sorry, we'll be going now."

He took Rachel's hand and walked away, motioning for the others to follow him. They caught up with Chandler outside.

"The nurse came in and kicked me out," Chandler explained.

Ross groaned. "Alright, if anyone is talking to my parents and they ask if I stayed with Monica, I spent all night in that hospital. Got it?"

"Ross, you might want to mention that to Monica first," Chandler said.

Ross thought about it for a second.

"She'll be fine. She'll work it out…I'll go in early tomorrow morning in case my parents arrive early."

"What time did they say they were coming?" Chandler asked nonchalantly.

"They weren't sure, probably around 12. Although, that probably means around 3. That way, Monica will be out of hospital and they won't have to go." He looked around at the slightly incredulous faces of his friends. "Mommy hates hospitals," Ross explained.

Rachel's hand flew to her forehead dramatically. "Ross, honey, you've got to stop calling her Mommy."

Ross went red, and he began muttering under his breath.

Phoebe hailed a taxi and they all squashed in. "Central Perk, please."

The taxi driver grunted in response.

When they arrived at Central Perk, and they went immediately to sit in their usual spot. Chandler hung back, grabbing Phoebe's elbow**.**

"Pheebs, I'm going to head home. I'm tired and I have to pick up Monica with Ross from the hospital tomorrow. I'll see you all tomorrow, alright?"

As he left, he realized that no one had questioned him about going to collect Monica, which surprised him. It made him wonder if his friends already suspected that there was something going on between himself and Monica, or were they really just so close before that nobody suspected anything?

When he reached his apartment, he went straight to bed and fell asleep almost immediately, dreaming of Monica.

**A/N: Reviews, good or bad, are always appreciated. Thank you! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey everyone! Huge thanks to everyone who has reviewed or even read this story - you guys are great! :) Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Friends or the characters or the storylines.. etc etc, sob sob sob.**

**(Chandler)**

Chandler groaned as he woke to the sound of his alarm going off. He rolled over and tried to remember why he had set his alarm for 9:00 am on a Sunday morning.

_That's right, you have to go and __pick up Monica from the hospital, _he thought to himself_._ Chandler reluctantly moved from the warmth of his bed into the cold air, making him shiver. It was freezing in the apartment. He got dressed quickly, and then went across to Monica's like he did every Sunday (well, every day really) for breakfast. He only realised when he got into the hall that Monica wouldn't be making breakfast that morning; and Rachel most certainly wouldn't be.

As his stomach rumbled, he decided to pick up a coffee and a muffin in Central Perk before heading over to the hospital.

Over an hour later, Chandler rushed into the hospital, hoping Monica would be in a relatively good mood. She was probably going to kill him; he had promised to be there early, before visiting hours began at 9:30. Of course now it was 9:45, because naturally everything always went wrong for Chandler. He hadn't planned on running into an old...acquaintance in Central Perk, nor had he anticipated that the queue would be so long, or even that every single cab would pass him by, and yet it had all happened.

_Chandler arrived at Central Perk and took his place in the seemingly never-ending queue of customers, and eventually placed his order with Gunther. He leaned __against the counter and rubbed his hands together to try to warm them up. He reached over the counter to take his coffee and his muffin when he heard it; __that awful sound which had plagued both his dreams and nightmares for months on end._

_"OHH. MYY. GAWWWWD!"_

_Chandler froze and __mentally slapped himself for choosing to come in here alone on a Sunday morning. __Hadn't she mention at some point __during their awful relationship that she liked coming here on Sundays?_

_Bit late to be thinking of that now Chandler, he thought__,__ mentally preparing himself to lose a few brain cells during __the inevitable __conversation._

_"Well, look who it is! My little Bing-a-ling!" __Chandler cringed at her screech and loud laughter as she approached him at the counter._

_He winced. How did I ever put up with that sound?_

_"Janice! It's good to see you, but I was just -"_

_"Aww, have you missed me, Chandler?" She trailed a long fingernail along his cheek, leaning closer to him. "Because I've missed you, my little bing-a-ling," she whispered in his ear._

_Chandler was horrified. "That's great Janice, but I really - "_

_"Shhh," she whispered, pressing her finger to his lips. "Don't say anything. I know you've missed me too."_

_Chandler felt sick. I can't believe I once enjoyed this, he thought. He pushed her away firmly and held her at arm's length, standing up straight._

_"Janice, I…I'm seeing someone now. And…it's going really well. It...it was nice chatting with you," he said awkwardly, almost apologetically._

_"Oh." She shrunk back. "I'm sorry to have bothered you." She quickly exited the coffeehouse without a glance back in his direction._

_Chandler groaned inwardly. That had been sufficiently unpleasant. He turned back to the counter and picked up his coffee and his muffin. He looked at his watch. 9:20. Monica was going to kill him._

Sometimes Chandler thought that he was the poster boy for Murphy's Law - what can go wrong, will go wrong.

_Don't think like that Chandler. God, what's wrong with me? _He stopped briefly, throwing a hand up. _Ooh no, don't open that door._

He shook his head crossly, and continued walking. _Some things work out well for you, like Monica. She's the best thing to ever happen to you. Yeah, well, I've still got time to mess that up._

"For God's sake, man, pull yourself together," he muttered.

* * *

Chandler considered stopping by the hospital gift shop to buy flowers to make up for his lateness, but then realised that if Ross was already there, the flowers could be hard to explain.

_Better safe than sorry,_ he thought.

He leapt up the stairs two at a time to Monica's floor, then raced to the end of the hallway to room 306. He peered through the window and saw Monica in bed, with Ross in a chair beside her. They looked like they were in the middle of an argument; no sign of the Geller parents. He opened the door slowly and poked his head into the room.

"Am I interrupting?" he asked.

"Thankfully, yes!" Monica replied loudly.

Ross gave Chandler a sideways look. "Chandler, would you mind giving us a minute?"

Chandler looked back and forth between the two Gellers and decided he did not want to get involved in their argument.

"Sure, I'll go get a coffee. You two want anything?"

Monica glared at him. Ross just smiled, said "Yeah, I'll take a coffee, thanks man," and turned back to Monica as Chandler left the room. After shutting the door behind him, Chandler paused, then crouched on the floor, and pressed his ear to the door. Maybe it would be helpful later to at least have some idea about what they were arguing.

"Look Monica, what's the big deal?"

"I just don't want to, alright Ross? It's bad enough that she insults me every time she comes to visit, but to try to -"

Monica lowered her voice and Chandler could no longer hear her. He suddenly realised that it had become quiet in the hall. Too quiet. He felt a sharp tap on his shoulder and he jumped.

"Can I help you, sir?" a nurse enquired suspiciously.

Chandler stood up and straightened his jacket. "I'm fine, thank you. Actually, could you direct me to the nearest coffee machine?" he asked politely.

The male nurse looked at him oddly, then proceeded to direct him to the coffee machine on the floor above.

"Just up the stairs and to the right. You can't miss it," he explained quickly, still looking suspicious.

Chandler nodded his thanks and quickly headed for the machine, thinking about the short snippet he had heard of Ross and Monica's argument. He had heard insulting and Monica, so he assumed they were arguing about their parents - and apparently their attempt to do something for or with Monica.

As he stood in line for the coffee, Chandler thought about how…interesting his life had become ever since he and Monica had started dating. It had never been like this with anyone else, and it was certainly never boring. As soon as they overcame one obstacle, another one would be looming in the distance, waiting until they were wonderfully happy before striking without warning. There was family drama, cooking drama, other relationships drama, secret drama, and now the accident drama. Chandler hoped that things would settle down soon. Not that he didn't enjoy the uncertainty a little bit - it certainly livened up his days - but he was looking forward to just settling down with Monica; being able to hold her hand in the coffeehouse without odd looks; no pitying looks from Joey as Chandler sat in front of the tv every Saturday night, waiting for him to disappear to his date so Chandler could escape to Monica's. He knew Monica was getting the same treatment from Rachel, but by not allowing him to tell anyone about their relationship, wasn't making life any easier for him.

Then again, she never has. He doesn't really mind, though. It's just the way she is. Monica has the need to control every aspect of her life, and Chandler loves her in spite of that. In fact, he sort of loves that she's a control freak. She wouldn't be Monica if she wasn't.

Chandler made two coffees, and then walked back to Monica's room, hoping that the argument would be over. As he approached the door, he could hear Ross yelling, causing him to slow his pace. He slid along the wall, and carefully peered through the window in the door.

Monica was sitting upright, arms folded, with an angry expression. Ross was standing beside a chair, gesticulating wildly, with an equally angry expression on his face. Chandler decided he would give Ross his coffee and then announce his desire to eat. This argument was obviously far from over, and he couldn't help but wonder what the Geller parents could have done to rile both of their children so much.

He knocked quietly on the door, and walked inside.

"Ross, your coffee." Chandler handed the cup to him.

Ross nodded thankfully, and proceeded to drink half of the cup. He wiped his mouth quickly with one hand and sat down. Chandler looked at Monica. She gave him a small smile, then resumed giving Ross a glare of death.

"Everything alright?" he asked slowly.

"Everything is just FINE," Ross said dryly. "Just peachy. Thank you Chandler."

"Don't be such an ass Ross - and don't drag Chandler into our family arguments," Monica hissed. She smiled at Chandler. "Chandler, would you mind leaving Ross and I alone for a while? We have a few things we need to sort out before my parents get here."

Chandler groaned inwardly.

_Wonderful. I got up early for nothing. Could this day GET any worse?, _he thought, annoyed.

He forced a smile. "A while as in, go get some food and come back later? Or a while as in, we'll see you at the coffeehouse later on?"

Monica shot Ross a sideways look. "About an hour?" Ross offered.

Chandler nodded. "Yeah, I could eat for an hour."

He exited the room, attempting to suppress his annoyance, instead concentrating on what he was going to eat. After all, he had a whole hour. He checked the time on his watch again. 10:45. Joey wouldn't be awake for another hour at least, Phoebe was probably playing music in Central Perk and he had no desire to have a conversation with Rachel, which would no doubt lead to his love life, something he didn't feel like talking about.

* * *

When Chandler left the room, Monica could tell he was annoyed. She felt bad, asking him to get up and spend the day with her, and now forcing him to leave without so much as an explanation. She sighed heavily. Today was going to be a long day.

"Monica, listen to me," Ross said, frustrated.

Monica slumped down in her bed.

"I don't want to, Ross. I don't want to go on this date. I don't want them to come visit me under the pretence of being worried, only for mom to spend the visit doting on you, and going on and on about this wonderful guy she set me up with!"

"Monica-" Ross interrupted.

"I can find a man on my own - for god's sake, I've found them before!"

"Mon-," Ross tried again.

"Why does she treat me like a 5-year-old who stole some cookies before dinner?" She yelled in a sudden burst of anger.

Ross stared at her. He sat down, resting his hands on the armrests.

"Alright. I give up." He shook his head. "I'm not arguing with you Monica. If you don't want to go out with him, I'll support you against Mom. Okay?"

Monica smiled wearily. "Thank you, Ross."

_Team Monica never loses, _she thought happily, even though she knew the real fight had yet to begin - Judy Geller was a tougher nut to crack.

Ross sat quietly in the chair for a few moments. "Should I go get Chandler? He could stay here while I get some lunch."

Monica nodded. "Sounds good. I didn't think we'd solve that so easily."

"I hadn't exactly planned on giving in so soon," Ross replied.

Monica shrugged. "Eh, I always win. It was only a matter of time. Now, go have lunch and send Chandler up."

Ross got up to leave. He crossed the room to the door, and opened it, only to find his parents smiling back at him.

"Ross, dear!" Judy exclaimed.

Monica slumped further in her bed. "Ross, I think lunch can wait," Monica said, a big, fake smile plastered on her face.

Ross looked back and forth between Monica and his parents.

"You know what, lunch can wait." He grinned and went back to sit in the uncomfortable chair at Monica's bedside.

"Mom! Dad! I didn't think you'd be here so early!" Monica said through gritted teeth.

Judy flashed Monica a pearly white grin. "Well, we wouldn't feel comfortable leaving our daughter in the hospital with only Ross for company!, "Judy replied.

_And you thought that you coming here would solve the problem of unwanted company? _Monica wondered to herself. Not that she didn't love her brother, but the only person she wanted right now was Chandler, and he was probably stuffing his face in the cafeteria, wondering what was going on.

Surprisingly, Monica found her parent's visit relatively stress free. The conversation was also surprisingly easy-going, although there was a definite current of tension flowing underneath it all. Time flew by and before they knew it, it was 12:00.

Jack Geller stood up. "Monica, I'm going to go to the cafeteria. Ross, would you care to join me for lunch?"

Monica shot Ross a look that clearly said, "If you leave me with her, I will kill you." But she could see that Ross didn't care – he had moaned about how hungry he was for over an hour. "Sure Dad, I'd love to."

They left quickly, and Monica dreaded the upcoming conversation, which would definitely turn towards her love life (or lack thereof, so far as her mother knew) and her date next week.

As if right on cue, Judy said, "Now Monica, I've given your home number to the doctor nurse man, so he'll probably call you tomorrow. I told him you were in hospital so you wouldn't be able to talk today."

"Mother," Monica said, exasperated, "why would you give him my home number? And why tell him I'm in the hospital? We don't even know the man!"

Judy looked offended. "There's no need to be rude Monica. He's a lovely man; I know his family well."

"Funny how I never heard of them before now," Monica muttered.

* * *

After lunch, Chandler walked quickly back to Monica's room. He hoped he would be able to talk to Monica before her parents got here - Ross had said they might arrive around 12:00 - but that hope was dashed when he met Ross and Jack on their way downstairs. They nodded hello, then Chandler continued his walk to Monica's room. As he approached, he heard Monica yelling angrily and a woman who sounded like Judy Geller yelling back, sounding equally upset.

"Mom, you need to stop trying to interfere with my life! I'm still a few years from 30. It is ridiculous that my mother is still setting me up on blind dates!" Monica shouted.

Chandler's stomach dropped and he felt sick. Did she just say her mother had set her up on a date? He edged closer to the room and for the second time that day, pressed his ear to the door, before realising he didn't need to at their volume.

"Monica darling, I'm only trying to help. You should be grateful!"

"Grateful? GRATEFUL? Why on Earth should I be grateful? I am perfectly capable of setting up dates for myself. Yet you insist on setting me up with people you consider appropriate for me, and who have no personality, by the way! Why can't you just leave me to deal with my life?" There was a deathly silence in the air.

Chandler heard footsteps moving towards the door and moved quickly to sit on a nearby chair. Judy exited the room, acknowledging Chandler's presence with a slight nod of the head.

"Good to see you too, Mrs. Geller," Chandler said politely. She walked away towards the stairs.

Realising that Monica was now alone for the first time that day, Chandler crept into the room, mentally preparing himself for the possibility that Monica might tell him to leave again, but feeling that he needed to confront her about what he had just heard.

He shut the door quietly behind him and stood awkwardly in front of the door.

Monica smiled at him, but the smile faded when she saw his face.

"Chandler, what's wrong?"

"You're going on a date with another guy?" he asked softly.

* * *

Monica could have kicked herself. She should have known that they were talking too loudly. And it was just her luck that Chandler would overhear. How was she going to get out of this one?

**A/N: Reviews, good or bad, are always appreciated - I love to hear what guys think! :) **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: So seriously, thank you guys so much for reading and reviewing. Each and everyone of you is AWESOME. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Friends, or the storylines, or the characters.. you know the drill.**

**(Chandler)**

It was Monday evening, a full day since Chandler had brought Monica home from the hospital, and he still hadn't been given a straight answer about her upcoming date with the mystery man from Long Island. The two of them were alone in her apartment, and he had decided that this would be as good a time as any to confront her. He had assumed in the hospital that she would have caved to pressure and cancelled the date. He couldn't believe she was seriously considering going on the date.

He turned to face her.

**(Monica)**

"Mon, please don't do this," Chandler said quietly.

She sighed. What was she supposed to say? Was she just supposed tell him that it would all work out the way he wanted it to? She couldn't do that. She couldn't face telling her parents, at least not until she was completely positive that Chandler was the one. She was pretty sure he was, but at the same time there was a small voice in the back of her mind that kept asking, "But what if you're just better off as friends?"

She decided to try and avoid the question.

"Don't do what?" she hedged.

He sighed in frustration. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Don't do this Mon."

"Chandler, what do you want me to do? We both know we aren't ready to tell anyone yet. You know I don't want to do this either...please don't make this harder than it has to be." She sighed, looking at him, and seeing nothing but hurt. She could tell this would be a long night of arguing.

"I can't let you do this Mon. It's killing me to even think about it," he said, panic evident in his tone.

**(Chandler)**

And it wasn't a lie. Just the thought of it made him shiver and want to vomit. His heart was beating wildly, he could feel the hairs standing up on his arms and legs, and he felt dizzy. He wanted to take her in his arms and never let her go, because she is his and no one else's, and he really does love her.

He went out to the balcony and leaned against the railing, looking down at the ground below and wondering if jumping off it could possibly hurt him more than the conversation he was currently having. What could possibly hurt more than the thought of Monica with another man? He found himself craving a cigarette, and spat viciously onto the ground below.

Monica followed him outside. "It's just a dinner date Chandler," she said slowly.

He spun around to face her. "Right, because that makes it _so_ much better. Don't try to justify it, Mon. You're going on a date with another guy because you can't bring yourself to tell your parents - or anyone else for that matter - that we've been dating for 8 months!" he yelled angrily.

"Stop shouting, someone is going to hear you!" she hissed back.

They both stood on the balcony facing each other, breathing heavily, and waiting for the other to say something, anything, to break the tense silence that had settled between them.

"Oh my God."

They both turned towards the familiar sound coming from just inside the apartment, dreading the next sentence from their friend.

Joey was staring at them like they had told him there was no food in the apartment.

"YOU GUYS ARE DATING?" he yelled, an incredulous look on his face.

Chandler immediately leapt inside and covered Joey's mouth with his hand.

"Keep your voice down, man!"

Joey started speaking rapidly in a whisper and Chandler removed his hand.

"But…you guys can't be dating...you're Monica and Chandler! You're friends! I...what is this? Monica has a date with some guy her parents know this week!" Joey said, looking very confused.

**(Monica**)

Monica shivered, as she watched Joey freaking out. She hasn't realised how cold it was. Chandler wordlessly took off his coat and wrapped it around her. She huddled into him, her cold hands held tightly by his surprisingly warm ones, unsure what to say next. Should they try and deny it? It wouldn't work on anyone else, but they might have a shot with Joey. But when she looked at Chandler she knew he wouldn't be comfortable with outright lying to his best friend. She watched as Chandler sighed.

"Yeah Joe, we're dating." He waited for Joey's reaction nervously, squeezing her hands tightly, but Monica was the one who reacted first.

"Joey Tribbiani, if you say anything to anyone about this, I will never let you eat our food again. Do you understand?" she warned.

Joey went pale. "Hey hey, no problem Mon, I won't say anything," he said. He laughed nervously, staring at Monica. He was turning to leave when he suddenly twisted around to face them again.

"You know, when I first moved in all those years ago, after Monica and I had that 'lemonade incident', I thought you guys had a thing." He grinned.

Chandler laughed. "Why was that Joe?"

"Because you guys seemed so close; you were always together, and a bunch of other little things," he said with a smirk. "And of course, Monica had to be dating someone. Why else would she refuse to sleep with me?"

This time, they all laughed. "And by the way…I'm really happy for you guys," he said.

"Night Joe..." Chandler said, smiling, "and hey, thanks." Joey left the apartment smiling, leaving Chandler and Monica alone again.

"You know, I thought he would have more questions, even after I threatened him," Monica said, smiling.

"He does. I'll have to explain it to him later after he gives me the silent treatment for a day or two, followed by lots of yelling for not telling him," Chandler groaned.

He hugged her tightly and pressed his lips against her hair.

"Let's go back inside, it's freezing out here," he murmured.

She nodded against his chest, and they shuffled inside, still holding on to each other. They sat on the couch for a few minutes in perfect silence, just holding each other, before Chandler said, "We still need to talk about this."

He let go of her, stood up quickly, and began to pace the room. She watched him silently, knowing he was trying to think of any solution that didn't involve Monica going on this date.

He stopped suddenly and looked at her.

"Mon...what if we just told everyone? Or if you just told your parents you couldn't go? Tell them you're still feeling sick or something."

She shook her head. "They'd just reschedule," she said, ignoring his first option.

"And what about just telling everyone?"

She stared at him as if to say, "Really? You actually think that might work? Dream on Chandler Bing."

He rolled his eyes. "Come on, Mon. I think we're ready." His big blue eyes looked down at her, and she could feel her resolve cracking. It wasn't lost on her how the roles in their relationship had changed slightly from what she had previously imagined. She had always thought it would be her pushing Chandler to tell people about them. She certainly hadn't considered that it would be not Chandler wanting to progress their relationship.

Would it be so bad if they told people? But how could they? It wasn't the kind of thing you could just bring up in conversation. She could just picture the gang's reaction:

_"So Mon, how's the love life?"_

_"It's pretty good Rach.."_

_"Really? Who's the lucky guy? Do we know him?"_

_"Actually, yeah, it's Chandler."_

_There would be a really awkward silence, during which they would all exchange looks, then conclude that Monica was kidding and start laughing, until they realise she's being completely serious. Then they would act shocked, before they started whining about how she never told them, and asking how long it had been going on for. She wasn't sure she could deal with that._

"Mon?" Chandler asked, concerned. "You okay? You've been just staring into space for the last few minutes."

She shook herself out of her daydream. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Chandler..." She shook her head,** "**We can't tell the others. Not yet."

His face fell, and he buried his head in his hands.

"Then what do we do Mon? You can't go on this date. You just can't."

Monica was tired and starting to get annoyed.

"Look, Chandler, this is happening, okay? You know that I am really happy with you but I'm just not ready to admit that to everyone, alright?" She sank into the couch. "I knew you'd react like this! Please Chandler..." She pleaded with him. "Just let this one go."

**(Chandler)**

Chandler removed his hands from his face to look at Monica.

"Just let this go?" He shook his head sadly. "I thought you knew me better than that, Mon. I can't just let this go. I'm sorry."

He strode over to the door, left the apartment, went back to his own, ignoring Joey's questions as he came through the door, and going straight into his room. He lay down on his bed, and sighed heavily.

How could Monica even consider going on a date? Didn't she realise how much it was killing him? Was it not killing her? He would never even consider going on a date with someone else. He would feel far too guilty. Maybe she didn't she care about him the way he cared about her…Didn't she realise that he needed her more than he needed air? She was the best thing to ever happen to him…even if he hadn't ever told her so.

Chandler sat up as he suddenly realised that he needed to tell Monica he loved her...and soon.

**(Monica)**

Monica sat alone in her apartment, unable to find the motivation to move from the couch, when suddenly the phone rang. She slowly slid along the couch to answer it, feeling a dread she couldn't explain.

"Hello?"

"Is this Monica Geller?"

"Yes, this is Monica."

"Hello, my name is Doctor Andrews from the hospital. I'm calling in regards to your recent tests," he said in a deep voice. Monica could hear him take a breath. "We have your results."

Fear swept through her and ahe gulped.

"…Is it good news?"

"Ms. Geller, if you don't mind, I'd prefer to discuss this in person. It's not the kind of news you should hear over the phone. I'd like to make an appointment to see you at your earliest convenience."

Monica froze. The doctor's tone remained unchanged, indicating neither good nor bad results. But an appointment? That didn't sound like the happy news she was hoping for.

She tried to speak but no words would come out.

"Ms. Geller? Are you still there?"

She let out a shaky breath. "Yes, I'm still here, I...um...I...Yes, an appointment. Fine."

The doctor sounded uneasy when he spoke again.

"Ms. Geller, how about we arrange an appointment for Wednesday - at around 11am. Does that suit you?"

"Yes, that's fine." Monica said quickly.

"Perfect. And Ms. Geller?"

"Yes?"

"We recommend that you bring a friend or family member with you. For moral support."

She gulped and nodded, even though the doctor couldn't see her. "Thank you, goodbye."

Monica hung up the phone, knowing exactly who she wanted to bring.

Chandler. But after their fight today would he come?

**A/N: So what's wrong with Monica? Is it bad news? Perhaps it will all depend on your reviews... ;) **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello everyone. I'm sorry this chapter is late (and that it's a bit short) but I've had quite a traumatic week - I've spent the last few days travelling for a funeral of someone I was close too and I'm out of sorts. I'll try and upload the next chapter early this week to make up for it - and I promise it will be longer.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Friends or the storylines or the characters or the actors or anything. If anyone would like to donate any of the above to me for Christmas, I would be forever in your debt. Just saying. :)**

**(Monica)**

Less than a day had passed since Chandler had walked out of her apartment without so much as a goodbye, and Monica missed him. Last night had been the first night in a long time that she had been alone, and she had hated it. She hadn't realised how much she had come to look forward to his being there each night. Her bed felt cold and unwelcoming without him asleep beside her, with his arm wrapped firmly around her and her head on his bare chest as he snored softly. It had felt all wrong.

Even her apartment had seemed odd without his presence. She had cleaned the entire thing twice but even that hadn't cheered her up as like it usually did.

She missed him. She needed him. She craved his company, his jokes, his laugh, his smile, the way he looked at her as if, just by being with her, he was the luckiest guy on the planet, when actually it was her who was the lucky one.

_This is pathetic,_ she thought. _Monica Geller, falling apart without a guy after only a few hours apart. Pull yourself together woman!_ she scolded herself.

There was one thing that she couldn't deny though; one thing that had occurred to her during her pity party: she loved him.

She had felt her own heart crumbling to tiny pieces as he had left her apartment. It had nearly killed her to see him in so much pain, and when he hadn't come into her room at midnight that night, like he usually did, she had cried herself to sleep, wishing he was there beside her. She needed and loved only him, and now she needed to tell him so. She couldn't go on with someone else. How could she have been so stupid as to think it would have been okay? It's obvious now that she would have felt guilty all night long; and if the guy had made any sort of a move…she felt sick just thinking about it. An image flashed in her mind of Chandler with another woman, and jealousy raged inside of her. How could she not have realised how foolish she was being?

She had to tell him that she loved him and that she was definitely not going on that date.

She had to tell him about the doctor's call also. Monica hadn't told anyone, and it was beginning to eat away at her. The appointment was tomorrow, and unless she told him soon, she would be facing it alone. In her slightly pathetic, over-emotional state, she didn't think that was a good idea.

She sighed in frustration, picturing the look on Chandler's face when she revealed she had been hiding something else from him.

She was not looking forward to that conversation.

The loud bang of her apartment door slamming shut broke her train of thought. She moved slowly from her bed and into the living room to greet her unannounced guest.

"Oh, hey Rach."

Rachel looked over at her and smiled. "Hey Mon. How's it going?"

_Where to begin Rach. Where. To. Begin,_ she thought gloomily.

* * *

**(Chandler)**

Chandler walked up the stairs to his apartment after work, hoping Joey was at the coffeehouse so he could escape to Monica's without answering any questions. He had been avoiding Joey since last night, refusing to answer his repeated knocks on the door, and had even avoided watching Baywatch with him like he usually did. He figured that he would go to Monica's and tell her that if she didn't cancel the date, he was finished with her. She needed to realise that this decision wasn't just about her; it affected him too. Yes, he loved her, but Chandler Bing was not going to just wait around while she went out with someone else.

He opened the door to his apartment.

"Hey man, how's it going?" Joey asked standing up from his chair. Luck was not on Chandler's side.

"I was going to go over to Monica's for a bit," Chandler replied.

Joey gave Chandler a menacing look. "No, you're going to sit down and explain what the hell has been going on." He sat up on the counter and crossed his arms, apparently waiting for Chandler to start talking.

Chandler ran his fingers through his hair and leaned against the door. He knew he had to have this conversation, but he had been hoping that he could explain it to everyone at the same time, and not individually several times.

_Damn, damn, DAMN._

He sighed. "Alright, Joe. What do you want to know?"

Joey smiled triumphantly. "When did it happen?"

"In London, at Ross' wedding."

Joey's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "IN LONDON?"

Chandler rolled his eyes.

"Yes Joey, in London. Anything else?"

Even though Joey appeared to be consider his next question carefully, Chandler was still surprised to hear him ask, "But how did it happen?"

"She was drunk."

Joey nodded. "Right." His eyes narrowed. "And you were...?"

Chandler looked awkwardly down at his feet.

"Chandler..."

"Not even tipsy. Pretty sober."

Joey leapt off the counter. "I KNEW YOU LIKED HER ALL ALONG!"

"Calm down Joey. And stop yelling! Someone is going to hear you!" Chandler said, panicked.

Out of nowhere, Chandler went flying into the fridge as the apartment door burst open, spilling Monica and Rachel onto their floor.

"Well that wasn't pleasant," Chandler mumbled, lying in a heap on the floor.

Rachel and Monica looked slightly guilty as they stood up and brushed dust from their clothes.

Joey glared at the two girls.

"Does anyone want to explain why you two just broke through the door?"

The two girls looked at each other. "We..uh.. heard shouting...we were...worried?," Rachel offered.

"Yeah, and then we tried to open the door and we couldn't. We thought something bad had happened!" Monica exclaimed.

Chandler picked himself up off the floor, turned to the girls, and raised an eyebrow.

"So you were concerned for us, but instead of calling out for us, you decided to ram the door open?" he asked suspiciously.

"Exactly," Rachel said.

Chandler stared at Monica, trying to pick up any signs that they might have overheard his conversation with Joey. Did Rachel know? He caught Monica's eye and inclined his head in Rachel's direction.

Joey and Rachel began arguing because Joey didn't believe they were genuinely concerned for them. After several moments Rachel suddenly yelled, "You know what, fine! I give up! Yes, we heard shouting and rushed over, but then we started eavesdropping, and then Ross came upstairs so we had to pretend we were going into your apartment!" She paused, taking a breath. "Actually, where did Ross go?"

"He went to get food from my fridge," Monica explained, then shook her head at Chandler quickly, hoping nobody would notice. He took that to mean that Rachel hadn't overheard anything she shouldn't have – or at least hadn't worked anything out.

"So Chandler, who's the lucky woman?" Rachel asked casually, winking at him.

Chandler forced a smile. "Well, she's a girl from…my office. She's very pretty and apparently she's wanted to go out with me for months," he said slowly, trying to think of something else to say about this mysterious 'girl from work'.

This seemed to satisfy Rachel, however.

"So when do we get to meet her? What's her name? Is she young? Will we like her?" Rachel rattled off a list which sounded like it was memorized.

Chandler panicked. _A name? What's her name? Can't say Monica. Think Chandler, think!_

"Her name is…Lizzy. Yeah, Lizzy. And you won't be meeting her for a while, I want to see if it's going somewhere before you all scare her away," Chandler said, laughing nervously.

Rachel beamed. "Doesn't she sound nice Mon? We're really happy for you Chandler! You've got a new girlfriend, Monica has that date with the doctor next week, and..." Rachel continued talking, but neither Chandler nor Monica were listening. They were both thinking about Monica and her date. Chandler gazed at Monica, mentally yelling,_Please, just tell her that you can't go out with this doctor! Tell her that we're together!_

She seemed to know what he was saying, first looking back at him, before dropping her face and shaking her head rapidly. He sighed. They really needed to talk about this little 'arrangement'.

"I have to go make dinner. I'll talk to you guys later, alright? Dinner will be around 7:30 if any of you are around." Monica spoke to the group, although her eyes never left Chandler's. She broke eye contact with him and then left the apartment quickly, seeming to ignore the conversation going around her.

Chandler quickly followed her out of the apartment and into the hallway. "Need a hand with dinner, Mon?" he asked, following her into her apartment and locking the door firmly behind him. They stared at each other, neither of them seeming to know what to say. Chandler broke the silence first.

"Look Mon. I know that you aren't ready to tell people and I shouldn't pressure you. I just got jealous, thinking about you with another guy and honestly-" He was cut off by Monica pressing her lips softly against his and wrapping her arms around his neck. As if by instinct, he placed his arms around her waist, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss. She ran her fingers through his hair and he pulled her even closer against him, so that there was no space between them. She broke the kiss and rested her head against his chest. He rested his chin on top of her head and inhaled the scent of her shampoo. Lavender. He had always loved that smell.

They stayed like that for a while, breathing together, content to just be close to one another again. All of a sudden, he knew he had to tell her. It was bursting inside of him, and before he really knew what was happening, he was speaking. This was his moment.

"I love you Monica," he whispered softly.

She jerked backwards, holding him at arm's length, and looked at him with wide eyes. "What?"

His smile faded a little, his warm, fuzzy feeling quickly disappearing. He cleared his throat and said, "I love you, Monica Geller." He looked at her shyly. "I…said I love you."

Time seemed to slow down as he waited for her to respond. It was probably only a few moments, but to Chandler it felt like a few months had passed before Monica finally spoke.

"Chandler..."

He could see her hesitation and surprise, and felt as if his heart was being ripped from his chest. No. This couldn't be happening. He had to find some way to backtrack. "Monica, I-"

"I love you too," she whispered.

And just like that, Chandler's heart felt fine. Better than fine, in fact. He felt giddy and happier than he had ever been. It was almost indescribable. He was excited and overjoyed, and his heart was beating faster than it ever had before. He smiled, picking Monica up in his arms and twirling her around. She laughed delightedly, and he put her down gently, kissing her forehead as he did so. He sighed happily. "I love you, Mon. So much."

"I love you too, Chandler. So much," she replied, smiling in that way that Chandler loved so much. "I mean, could I _be _any more in love with you?" she said, giggling. He laughed, and hugged her close to him. She was so perfect to for him.

He grinned down at her, saying, "Now, where were we?" as he leaned in to kiss her again. She drew back, pretending to think about it.

"I think we were about to move this into my room," she said slyly.

Chandler pretended to look shocked. "But what about dinner? They'll all starve!"

She looked at her watch and rolled her eyes. "Eh, we got time." She grinned at him.

Chandler raised one eyebrow, scooped her into his arms, and carried her into her bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him.

**A/N: Again, sorry for how short this chapter is. As always, reviews make me very happy and I would love to hear what you all think. Shoutout to my awesome beta, Musickat18, without whom this story would not be here.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Okay, firstly, so sorry about the delay! I really did intend to update soon, but life got in the way, as it often does! Hope you enjoy the chapter though :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Friends, although I've been dropping some pretty obvious hints to my family about purchasing the rights to it for my Christmas present, so you never know what might happen.**

**(Monica)**

She still hadn't told him. She couldn't. It was going to kill him.

She had planned on telling him tonight, but his sudden declaration of love had ruined any plan to tell him - she certainly wasn't going to ruin the night now by announcing she had an appointment to get the results of tests he didn't know she had taken. She also knew she couldn't put it off for very much longer; the appointment was the following day.

So she made a quick decision. Even though she was dreading it, she would tell him tonight…later.

Or maybe early in the morning.

**(Chandler)**

Monica had prepared dinner for everyone, but now their friends had returned to their apartments, getting ready for their own nightly activities, leaving Chandler and Monica alone in the apartment.

They lay on her balcony, hands intertwined beneath blankets, in perfect silence, looking up at the few stars visible on a New York City night.

Chandler could not remember a time in his life when he had been happier than he was right now. He had told Monica he loved her and she said it back. He felt complete, and completely happy.

"Chandler?" Monica whispered.

He propped himself up on his elbows to look at her properly. Her hair shone beautifully in the glow of the city lights. "Yeah, Mon?"

She was quiet for a moment, as if reconsidering whether or not to ask her question.

"Mon?" he asked again.

Monica turned her head towards him. "Do you want to tell the others?"

Chandler paused in surprise. "About us?"

She nodded. "Yeah, about us. I was thinking, it seems silly to keep it from them now. I... I think I'm ready."

Chandler looked at her seriously. "Monica, we don't have to if you really aren't ready." Then he smiled at her. "I mean, as long as you and I know we're dating, that's all that matters to me," he joked.

She giggled and punched him lightly. "I'm serious Chandler. I want them to know. I'm sick of having to pretend like I'm all on my own and lonely...when I'm happier than I've been for a while." She paused for a moment and then added, "I don't know why I thought I wasn't ready."

Blushing, she shuffled closer to him under the blankets. He put his arm around her and she snuggled into his chest. "I don't think I've ever been this happy, Chandler," she whispered.

His heart swelled. "Me either, Mon."

"Chandler..." She tilted her head up to look at him. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Neither one felt the need to say anything else, simply reveling in their happiness. Chandler couldn't believe that less than a year ago this kind of a commitment would have sent him running. And yet, here he was now, in a monogamous relationship and he was completely comfortable with this the arrangement. He loved Monica, and she loved him, and for him, that was more than enough.

"You know, it's funny," she whispered.

"What is?"

She didn't say anything for a moment.

"Mon?" he prompted, not for the first time that night.

"I was thinking about how I never would have seen this coming."

"Seen what coming?" he asked. Then it dawned on him."Us? Is it really that so hard to believe?" he asked, a little hurt.

She laughed. "No, silly. I mean that you were ready to move further in a relationship before I was. I always thought of you as a complete commitment-phobe," she said, seeming to watch him closely.

Chandler thought for a moment, and then nodded slowly. "Yeah, I never would have expected that either." He shrugged and smiled down at her. "Maybe I'm changing."

As they settled back into silence, Chandler couldn't help but think that he was definitely changing. He was not the same person he had been before he and Monica had started dating. He felt more grown-up. This was the longest relationship he had ever been in and he was loving every minute of it. Monica Geller was the woman he was meant to be with. That he knew for certain.

Chandler returned to his apartment deliriously happy. As he strolled through the door, on top of the world, he was met by a very panicked Joey.

"Chandler, I'm so sorry."

"What's wrong Joe?" He asked.

Joey gave him a guilty look.

"I…might-have-accidentally-told-Rachel-and-Phoebe-about-you-and-Monica," he said quickly.

Chandler smiled. "It's okay Joe. We were planning to tell them soon anyways." Nothing could ruin his mood. Monica loved him! Tonight couldn't possibly go wrong. It was perfect.

Joey instantly brightened. "Good! I…uh, was a little afraid Monica would kill me…" He looked thoughtful. "Or worse…refuse to feed me her lasagna." He gave Chandler a serious look. "Do you have any idea what life would be like without that little slice of heaven?" When Chandler merely raised his eyebrows, Joey cleared his throat. "Anyway, since you guys were planning on telling everyone, you won't mind that Rachel and Phoebe have been hiding in the stairwell waiting for you to come home so they could ambush Monica," he said, walking backwards towards the door. "Okay great, see ya later!" He turned around and ran out of the apartment.

Given this new piece of information, Chandler figured he better go back to Monica's and warn her of her friends' ambush. When he arrived, however, Rachel and Phoebe had already begun interrogating Monica. They sat were sitting on the couch, facing Monica, who was standing uncomfortably by the television.

Rachel stood up from the couch first and faced Chandler.

"So. The woman from work…Lizzy, wasn't it? How is she?"

Chandler smiled. "She's pretty good Rach. And I'm just great, thanks for asking."

He strolled over to the couch and winked at Monica as he sat down.

"Having a nice night in, are we?" he asked casually.

Rachel huffed. "We were having a nice chat with Monica before you arrived, actually."

"Sensing a bit of resentment there, Rach," Chandler said with a smirk.

"Well give the guy a medal. Why aren't you with your girlfriend anyway?"

Chandler paused. This would be the perfect moment to reveal his relationship with Monica. He glanced over at Monica and saw a hint of a smile on her face. He stood up, and took Monica's hand across the table, pulling her around the table towards him.

"Actually, I am with my girlfriend. Rachel, Phoebe, I believe you've already met Monica. Monica, these are my friends Phoebe and Rachel. I think you'll like them," Chandler joked nervously, waiting for their reactions.

Monica and Phoebe laughed, but Rachel didn't even crack a smile. She looked at Monica almost pityingly.

"Whatever floats your boat Mon," she said, rolling her eyes. Then, after a moment**,** she shook her head. "Seriously, Monica? CHANDLER?"

"Rachel, y'know I'm right here, don't you?" Chandler interrupted. Monica looked at her feet awkwardly and Chandler wrapped one arm around her, keeping her close to him, still holding her other hand. Monica looked at him and smiled.

And suddenly, Rachel's face changed. She was quiet for a moment, staring into space.  
Chandler noticed. "You alright there, Rach?," he asked, a hint of concern in his voice.  
Rachel nodded, smiling. "You guys look really happy. Mon, I haven't seen you this happy since you dated…"  
She looked at Chandler, who was raising his eyebrows at her. "Well…nevermind. The point is, I've never seen either of you look at someone like you're looking at each other," she said, grinning at the couple. Monica blushed, and Chandler had a huge smile on his face.

Then Rachel huffed again. "I don't see why you guys kept it a secret. How long has it been going on anyways?"

Chandler looked at Monica awkwardly. She looked down at her feet, and mumbled, "Nearly 8 months."

Rachel nodded slowly, and began counting on her fingers. "But that… That means... In London?" she asked, confused.

They nodded. "Yeah."

Rachel sat down, looking stunned. Chandler looked over at Phoebe. "Pheebs, you're awfully quiet. What do you think?"

She gave him a look, before breaking out in a huge smile, "Are you kidding? I think it's great!" She paused. "Although, this does narrow my backups down to just Ross and Joey."

Chandler rolled his eyes. "Pheebs, it's always going to be Joey for you." Phoebe went slightly red. Rachel and Monica gasped.

"YOU LIKE JOEY?"

Phoebe threw her head back laughing in the chair. "Sure, who doesn't?"

Chandler and Monica laughed. Chandler winked at Phoebe, and announced, "I think we're going to go for a walk." Monica smiled and leaned up to kiss him. Her lips had barely touched his when the door of the apartment swung open and an angry figure stood defiantly in the doorway.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?"

They all turned to face the mysterious visitor.

Monica and Chandler broke apart as they saw the face of Ross Geller.

"CHANDLER BING, STEP AWAY FROM MY SISTER!"

Ross glared at the group, then marched over to Chandler, standing between him and Monica, poking him squarely in the chest with his index finger.

"You? And my baby sister? Do you not know any boundaries Chandler? Relatives of friends are COMPLETELY off limits! How could you betray me like this?" he yelled angrily, poking Chandler in the chest again.

"Ooh, careful now Ross, one more poke like that and Chandler might actually think you were mad at him!" Rachel scoffed.

Monica rolled her eyes and pushed Ross away.

"I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself, thank you Ross," Monica she said sarcastically.

"I WASN'T TALKING TO YOU MONICA," Ross roared. Monica glared at Ross.

Chandler didn't know what to say. "Look Ross…" he started, "this isn't just some fling okay? I love Monica."

Monica rubbed his back reassuringly.

"And I love him Ross. Please be happy for us."

Ross looked frantically back and forth between the two of them, before huffing in defeat.

"Alright then," he muttered.

He turned to face Chandler and hugged him, whispering, "If you break her heart, I will break your face. You understand?"

Chandler suppressed a laugh and a smirk, and simply whispered, "I could never break her heart Ross."

Ross stepped back and nodded at Chandler. "Well…Alright then." He paused. "I…need some time to think about this." He turned to leave again, when Monica called him back.

"Ross?"

"Yeah, Mon?"

She grinned at him. "Just remember that, by your logic, Rachel isn't allowed to date you. Because she's my friend…And you're my brother." She patted him on the shoulder. "Think about that!"

Ross glared at her and then stomped out of the apartment.

Rachel and Phoebe got up to leave too.

"Where are you going?" Monica asked.

Rachel and Phoebe shared a look.

"We're going to the...movies." Phoebe offered.

"To see...When Harry Met Sally!" Rachel added excitedly.

Monica looked confused. "Rach, that movie isn't in the theatre anymore."

Chandler started laughing.

Monica spun around quickly to face him.

"What's so funny?" she demanded.

Chandler tried to stop laughing. "Mon, they're trying to leave us alone by being subtle...which you obviously haven't picked up on," Chandler smirked.

Realization dawned on Monica. "Oh." She blushed. "Thank you," she muttered, embarrassed.

Rachel shook her head, laughing. "We'll see you two later on then?" she asked.

Chandler slipped his arms around Monica from behind. "Yeah, we'll see you later Rach."

Rachel and Phoebe left the apartment, and Chandler led Monica to the couch.

"That wasn't so bad now, was it?" he asked, still smirking.

Monica rolled her eyes. "Yeah, enjoy it while it lasts. I'm going to be right every other time."

Chandler smiled at her. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Mon."

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter - and as always, reviews are much appreciated :) I probably won't update before Christmas, so Merry Christmas to all of you, and a happy new year! Alternatively, if the world DOES end tomorrow... it's been nice writing for all of you ;)  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Well, the world didn't end, and as my Christmas present to you all, here is another chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, my pleas for the rights to Friends and/or the cast were ignored, so I still own nothing. No characters, no storylines.. nothing. I did get a complete boxset of Friends though, so yay for that.**

**(Monica)**

Monica felt like vomiting. She needed to tell Chandler about her upcoming doctor's appointment, but for some reason she kept chickening out. She stood beside the couch in her apartment, leaning awkwardly against an arm as she watched Chandler search her fridge for a snack. He found a slice of pizza Joey had obviously saved, shut the door of the fridge, and began eating it with a satisfied smirk. He caught Monica's eye.

"Mon? Are you alright? ," he asked. "You look a bit pale," he added with a touch of concern in his voice.

Monica gulped. "Chandler, come sit down for a minute," she said nervously, letting go of the couch. She began to pace the apartment, fidgeting with her hands as she did so, avoiding eye contact with Chandler, as he walked over and sat down.

"Chandler, we need to talk about something."

He gave her a concerned look. "Sure, Mon. What's up?"

She didn't say anything, but continued to pace. After a minute, she stopped and turned to face him.

"Look Chandler, there's something I haven't been totally honest with you about, and I feel really guilty, so I just wanted to sit you down and-"

Chandler spoke again. "Is is about the date? Because I'm over that. You cancelled it, so let's just move on okay?"

She bit her lip. "No, it's about-" She broke off as the realization hit her. "Oh my god, the date! It's on Saturday! I forgot all about it!"

Chandler frowned. "What do you mean you forgot about it? I assumed you had cancelled it!" he said, an angry expression on his face.

Monica was mortified. "No," she muttered, her cheeks turning red.

Chandler stood up quickly.

"Cancel it. Call him right now and tell him it's off," he said quickly. He grabbed the phone from the table handed it to her.

Monica stared uncomfortably at the phone, refusing to look at Chandler. "I can't do it."

He paused for a moment in thought.

"Fine. If you won't do it, I will," he said defiantly.

Monica folded her arms. "Go ahead," she said, smirking. She didn't believe for one second that Chandler would actually call him so when he actually asked for the man's number, staring expectantly at her, her first response was shocked silence. It took her a moment to think about it, before she realized why she couldn't remember it the number.

"I don't have his number," she replied. "My mother gave him my number, but didn't give me his number. Probably so I couldn't cancel it," she laughed nervously.

Chandler furrowed his brow, looking displeased by this turn of events. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.

After a few moments, a wide smirk suddenly spread across his face.

"Fine, I'll just call your parents and you can tell them about us while you're at it!" he said cheerfully, backing away from her.

Monica, shocked, followed him, moving slowly while glaring at him.

"Give me the phone, Chandler," she said, holding out her hand for the phone.

He slapped his free hand on top of her outstretched one. "High five!" he shouted, grinning.

Apparently noting the fierce look on her face, he jogged over to the kitchen table. He began dialling the number of her parent's house slowly, calling out the numbers as he did so.

"5…5…5…" When Chandler glanced up, Monica glared at him. She couldn't believe he was actually calling.

She ran towards him but he leapt out of reach, and began running a few circles around the kitchen table before moving towards the television, laughing all the while.

Monica was thoroughly unimpressed. She moved towards him slowly, tilting her head and continuing to glare at him, running her hand along the back of the chair. He was getting too cocky. She had him right where she wanted him.

Chandler grinned and began to move away from the television and back towards the door of their apartment.

"I can do this all night Mon!" he said gleefully, winking at her.

**(Chandler)**

Chandler knew that Monica was getting frustrated. This had become a game, and Monica Geller never lost a game. He leaned back against the kitchen counter, facing the couch and television, and continued dialing.

"6...8...4...3," he called out in a sing-song voice. He looked around, and was startled. He couldn't see Monica anywhere. He frowned. This was not good. No doors had been slammed, which meant she wasn't really mad, and, therefore, was still playing. He glanced outside to the balcony, and didn't see her there. He stood still, knowing that if he moved, she would pounce.

Suddenly, she jumped out from behind the counter, and dove on top of Chandler, pushing him to the ground. She held down each arm, swiping the phone from his hand and flinging it across the room.

"You will not call my mother to ask her for the number of my date," Monica said quietly, with a firmness to her voice, and eyebrows raised, indicating that she no longer found this funny. There wasn't a trace of a smirk or a smile on her face.

Chandler laughed breathlessly. "Have I ever told you how freakishly strong you are?" He laughed again as his chest puffed up and down, feeling overexerted. Cigarettes had not been kind to his lungs.

Monica shrugged. "Eh, I've heard it once or twice..." A small grin appeared on her face. "Did you really think you could beat me?" she asked.

He laughed again. "Not really, but it was fun to see you all worked up." He forced himself up slightly and kissed her nose. She tried, and failed, to hide her smile. He knew she was probably still annoyed for trying to call her parents, so he gave her his most adorable smile; the one he reserved only for her.

She said nothing, and his smile grew. "You just can't stay mad at me, can you?" he said cheekily.

Monica rolled her eyes and stood up, pulling him with her. She reached up and kissed him softly for a second. She broke the kiss and then stepped back, frowning.

"Actually, how do you know the number of my parent's house?" she asked.

"Ross used to call out the number when he called home in college," Chandler explained. "And he called home a lot!" he added, laughing. Monica nodded in understanding.

After a moment, Chandler realized just how quiet it was in the apartment. He could hear music being played in the apartment beneath them. Without a word, he put one hand on Monica's waist and took her hand in his, gazing into her eyes and seeing her love reflected back at him. She was smiling. Chandler really loved her smile. It wasn't so big one that it dominated her face, or so tiny one that you didn't know was there. It was just a perfect smile.

They began to sway slowly, back and forth, wordlessly. Minutes passed. Chandler sighed happily. This is what he had wanted all along. He bent his head down to her ear. "I love you, Monica," he whispered.

She chuckled into his shoulder. "I love you too, Chandler," she whispered back, smiling.

**(Monica)**

The music faded but they kept dancing for a few minutes longer. Monica didn't want to ruin this lovely moment with her news, but she had to tell him.

She broke away and took Chandler's hand, pulling him to the couch, indicating that he should sit. She began to pace the room again, working herself into a frantic, nervous state, before stopping suddenly.

She paused. Chandler was grinning widely back at her.

She took a deep breath. "Chandler, we need to talk about something else," she said, adopting a more serious expression.

Chandler's grin faded, and he began to look worried. "Yeah, Mon?"

"You know how I told you that everything was fine at the hospital? I hit my head, slight concussion, but everything was fine?" She began wringing her hands.

He looked concerned. "Yes. Mon, what's going on?" he asked, his blue eyes refusing to break contact with hers.

She sighed. _Spit it out Geller. Saying it slowly isn't going to make it any easier, and he needs to know the truth before tomorrow._

She took another deep breath. "Well, that was something else too. The doctors were worried, because I was losing a lot of blood. And they weren't sure, they said it was only possible, and that they wouldn't know for sure until they ran some tests." She took a deep breath. "Chandler, they wanted to test for uterine cancer."

Chandler said nothing, but looked down at his feet and shifted position on the couch. She decided to continue.

"They called me up on Monday to say that the results were in. I have an appointment for tomorrow morning at 11 a.m., and I want you to come with me," she said.

She was starting to feel a bit emotional.

"Chandler, I'm so scared." Tears formed at the edges of her eyes and began rolling slowly down her face as she choked back sobs. "I mean, cancer? I can't have cancer, Chandler. I might not be able to have kids! I... I really... really wanted a family!" At this point, she broke down, and Chandler gently pulled her onto his lap so she that was sitting on it.

"Shh honey, it's okay," he said reassuringly. "That's not going to happen, alright? If something is wrong, you're going to fight this, and I promise I'll always be here for you, okay?" he said, squeezing her hands tightly in his. "I promise you, Monica."

Monica pulled her legs up so she that was curled up on his lap. He kissed her head, rubbing her back. Suddenly, she couldn't control her sadness any longer, and tears cascaded down her face onto Chandler's shoulder.

"It's gonna be okay, Monica. I promise," he said firmly, reassuringly. "I'll never let anything bad happen you."

In that moment, Monica almost believed him.

She raised her head up from his shoulder and looked at him, sniffling. "You promise?"

**(Chandler)**

Chandler nodded. "I promise, Mon." She looked at him through tear-stained, puffy, red eyes, and his heart broke seeing her like this. He hated feeling so powerless, knowing that he could say very little to take away the pain she was feeling.

"I love you Chandler," she mumbled amidst her tears.

"I love you too, Mon. So much." She was still sniffling and crying, and Chandler knew that she wasn't going to do anything else for the night. She hadn't even made a comment about making promises he couldn't keep. She seemed to be was clinging to any hope she had; and right now, he was all she had. Chandler knew Monica had to be hating this. She liked to control every part of her life, and cancer? That was uncontrollable. Chandler knew the thought of not being able to control her own life probably scared her more than anything.

"Chandler?" she asked, muffled into his shoulder.

"Yeah, Mon?"

"Can you carry me to bed and just hold me for a while?" She rubbed her red eyes with her fist like a sleepy child.

"Of course." he replied, giving her a small smile.

Chandler picked her up gently and carried her to bed, holding her in his arms until she cried herself into a dreamless sleep, while he stayed awake, contemplating what life would be like if Monica had cancer. She'd be miserable, all the time. Stuck in a hospital, controlled by someone else, be it disease or doctor. She wouldn't handle it very well. Chandler didn't think he'd handle it very well either, but he would have to try, because he loved her, and nothing would stop him from helping her in any way he could.

These thoughts haunted Chandler well into the middle of the night until he too drifted into an uncomfortable sleep.

Chandler woke the next morning to the smell of sausages and bacon, making his stomach growl. He rolled over and looked at his alarm clock. It was 9 a.m. He groaned. Late for work. There was little point in going in now, when he had to go with Monica to her appointment at 11, so he dragged himself out of Monica's bed to call in for a 'family emergency'. He stumbled, bleary-eyed, into the kitchen where Monica was in what looked like a cooking frenzy.

"Mon?"

She twirled around and gave him a wide smile. "Morning! I know it's late, but I tried to wake you at 8 and you hit me away," she said, smiling.

Chandler cringed. "Sorry about that," he mumbled.

She shook her head. "Don't worry about it, it wasn't like it hurt," she scoffed.

Chandler put his hand on his heart, feigning shock. "Monica, are you implying that I'm not strong? Because I resent that. I am a man! I am manly!" he growled, flexing his arms jokingly. She laughed.

"Of course not." She approached him slowly, and he took her in his arms. "You're my big, strong, handsome man, right?" She laughed again. He hugged her tightly.

"Now that's more like it!" he exclaimed, leaning in to kiss her forehead. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, with strands of hair framing her face. He tucked one strand behind her ear, still holding her with his other arm.

"I've got to go shower, change and call my office to let them know I won't be in today. What time do you want to leave for this appointment?" he asked, with nerves beginning to creep into his voice.

"Around 10:30."

Chandler nodded. "I'll be back by 10:20 then." He grabbed a plateful of sausages and bacon from the table for Joey, and then returned to his apartment, leaving Monica alone to contemplate the day ahead of her.

**A/N: Reviews are always, always appreciated! Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, favourited and put this story on your alerts - it makes me very happy. Merry Christmas to you all, and Happy New Year! See you in 2013 :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hello everyone! I'm back, I'm sorry there's been such a gap in the uploading time - school is getting busier and I've exams coming up in 2 weeks time... It's stressful! Anyway, here's hoping you'll enjoy this chapter :) I'm updating this from my iPod, so I'm hoping it turns out okay.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Friends or the characters or the story lines, or y'know, anything. At all. Not mine. **

**(Chandler)**

As Chandler stood beneath the warm stream of water, he thought about Monica's upcoming appointment. He ran through possible scenarios in his head, ranging from heartbreaking to wonderful, from easily manageable to downright ridiculous.

Thoughts of Monica lying on a hospital bed flashed through his mind. He tried to clear his head, but couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He had decided that if something were wrong with Monica, he would be there every step of the way, assuming she wanted him there.

_Maybe she'd prefer the other guy,_ a voice sneered in his head.

_Don't be ridiculous. She wants you,_ he told himself.

_But does she really? She always seems mad at you these days..._whispered the voice.

_She's just stressed because of this appointment and her family. Don't worry about it. She loves you, remember?_ he reminded himself.

He suddenly stopped in the middle of rinsing out his shampoo as he realized how ridiculous it was to be fighting with himself.

_I need help_, he thought to himself.

Chandler got out of the shower and quickly dried off, changing into something he hoped was presentable for the appointment. It was only 9:30, which meant he still had nearly an hour to kill before going back over to Monica's. He supposed he could go back early, but then realized that he felt like being on his own, maybe think about what could happen at this appointment.

He remembered he had to call his office. He picked up the phone and tried to remember the number of his secretary - and her name. After several minutes of pondering, he finally just made a guess at the number, still unable to remember her name.

"Hello, Chandler Bing's office, how may I help you today," his secretary said in a monotone voice.

He really had no idea what her name was, so he decided to improvise."Hello, Mr. Bing here. I'm in the middle of a family crisis and I won't be in today."

His secretary sighed. "Will that be all?"

"That's it."

"Does that mean I can go home?"

Chandler sighed. _What sort of staff had they hired anyway?_

"No, you have to stay and work," he said firmly. "Goodbye," he added. He hung up the phone and idly wondered whether his nameless secretary would actually stay in the office for the day. He wouldn't, if he was in her place, but then he also hated his job. He liked the money, sure, and he enjoyed having a secretary (even if she was a bit useless), and having his own office was great. but he sometimes wished he had actually quit his job all those years ago. Then again, this was apparently what he was best suited to do, so why bother?

Chandler checked his watch again. 9:40. Maybe he was better off going for a quick coffee at Central Perk.

**(Monica)**

Monica spent a good twenty minutes in the shower after Chandler left. She too, was thinking about the appointment. What else would she be thinking about? She was glad it was early in the day - best to get it out of the way. Then again, what if it was bad news? More time to sit around the apartment, cry, and eat ice cream while Chandler held her.

Chandler. Her ray of light in the middle of these problems. She was so glad he was coming with her. Suddenly realising how long she had stood in the shower, she quickly turned off the water and got out quickly, shivering as a cold blast of air hit her. She wrapped her towel around her and hurried back to her room to dress. She checked the clock. 9.50. She began to pace around the room, hoping Chandler would come back soon, regretting having gotten up so early. Then she noticed a dirty plate on her sink, and decided that 30 minutes was plenty of time to clean the apartment - wasn't it? She dragged her vacuum cleaner out and lost herself in its whirring sound.

At 10.15, she put it away and began pacing the apartment. What if she had uterine cancer? What would she do? Surely Chandler would look after her. She paused in her pacing as she realised she didn't actually know a lot about uterine cancer. What if she died? Monica shuddered and bit her lip trying to prevent tears. She couldn't start crying now - she had to wait until after the appointment.

When Chandler peered around the door with a nervous smile on his face, she felt some of her tension leave. She was so happy to see him.

"We better go if we want to get a cab," he said. She nodded, suddenly finding herself unable to speak. He took her hand and squeezed it tightly.

"It's all going to be alright Mon," he whispered.

Monica wasn't so sure.

* * *

"Ms. Geller, the doctor will see you now," the assistant spoke up from behind her desk, glancing at them with a flash of pity in her eyes. Monica's stomach tightened.

Chandler squeezed her hand. "It's okay Mon, I'm here."

She nodded, following a nurse down the hall to the doctor's office, knocking once on the slightly ajar door before stepping inside. The doctor spun around in his chair at the sound of the knock.

"Ah, Ms. Geller, good to see you." He gestured towards the chairs in front of his desk. "Please, have a seat," he added.

As Monica and Chandler were sitting down, the doctor reached over and shook their hands.

"I think we met briefly at the hospital a few weeks ago," he said to Chandler, "my name is Dr. Andrews."

"Chandler Bing, and yes, I think we did."

Dr. Andrews walked quickly to his cabinet on the other side of the desk and retrieved a folder. He sat at his desk and faced the worried-looking couple, lacing his fingers together.

"Alright. We have carried out the tests, and as I said on the phone, we have your results." He took a deep breath. "Good or bad news first?"

Monica and Chandler shared a look. "Good news," Monica said quickly.

The doctor smiled. "Well, the good news is that you do not have uterine cancer."

Monica breathed a sigh of relief and slumped back into the chair. "Oh, thank god." She smiled at Chandler, expecting him to be smiling back, but he was frowning.

"Chandler, sweetie, what's the matter?" she asked.

"Mon, it's great that you don't have cancer, but...," he glanced at the doctor, "there is something wrong, isn't there?"

Dr. Andrews nodded slowly.

Monica's happy feeling vanished and she squeezed Chandler's hand tightly.

The doctor flipped through the sheets in his folder, then pulled one out and examined it.

"Yes and no, I suppose, Mr. Bing." He sighed deeply.

Monica felt sick and from the colour of Chandler's face, she didn't think he was feeling great either.

"Ms. Geller, I'm afraid there's never an easy way to say this but... at the time of your accident, you were 6 weeks pregnant. I'm afraid…the large blood loss was not uterine cancer, as we suspected, but that, along with your fall, the combination of smoke inhalation and your collapse caused a miscarriage," he said. "I'm so sorry for your loss," he added.

Monica anxiously glanced over at Chandler, watching the blood draining from Chandler's cheeks. A miscarriage. They hadn't even discussed marriage, never mind the possibility of children and a family. Heck, they weren't even living together! He was going to freak out. This was Chandler, her commitment-phobe.

Monica frowned slightly as it occurred to her that he wasn't much of a commitment-phobe these days. She supposed they'd have to discuss it marriage and kids now. Maybe he wanted to marry her and start a family. Monica knew that it was what she wanted, but she felt uneasy. It was still too soon, wasn't it? They hadn't even been dating for a year, they had only told their friends in the last week...They weren't ready for a baby of their own.

Suddenly, it hit her.

She had life growing inside of her for six whole weeks, and she never realised. She felt tears forming in her eyes, and tried to discreetly wipe them away, before Chandlernoticed. But he noticed anyway.

"Oh Mon..." he said quietly, standing up and pulling her into a hug. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he held her tightly. He stroked her back lightly, apparently no longer caring that they were standing in the doctor's office, the doctor watching them with pity in his eyes.

"Ah...Ms. Geller, Mr. Bing."

The couple moved apart slowly, and sat back on the chairs.

Dr. Andrews coughed.

"I'm afraid I have another appointment in 10 minutes. Do you have any questions for me?"

Silence enveloped the room quickly. Doctor Andrews pursed his lips slightly. "Had you...planned or discussed the possibility of children?" he asked seriously.

They shook their heads in unison. He nodded thoughtfully. "In light of these circumstances, I think you should discuss it," he said.

Chandler nodded.

The doctor reached over and shook Chandler's hand, then Monica's.

"If you have any questions, please feel free to make an appointment," he told them.

"Thank you," Monica whispered. She was still in shock. She barely registered Chandler leading her out of the hospital, hailing a taxi and climbing in. His hand squeezed hers tightly, his other arm wrapped around her in the back of the taxi.

"Bad morning, love?" the gruff taxi driver enquired.

Monica froze.

"Yes, something like that," Chandler replied. The taxi driver appeared to sense the tense mood of the couple and didn't say another word.

The ride back to the apartment was almost completely silent, except for the sound of the driver humming along to the radio. When they reached the apartment, Chandler paid, and then helped Monica out of the taxi. She noticed the colour was beginning to return to his cheeks, but he still didn't look well. She was terrified about the upcoming conversation. They walked slowly, dragging their feet up the stairs. It was only 12:00 pm, but Monica felt so emotionally drained that she wasn't sure she could do anything but sleep.

As they walked into her apartment, Chandler broke the silence. "Mon?"

She looked over at him. "Yeah?"

"Want to go for a coffee or something?"

"Eh," she said, flinging herself onto the couch, "I think I'll just stay here."

Chandler paused, looking uncomfortable."You want me to stay with you?"

The silence between them was uneasy and awkward. She knew he was thinking about what the doctor had told them to discuss - and she could see from his face that he wasn't ready.

"No, you go. I'm going to take a nap. Come back for me in an hour or two," she smiled weakly, struggling to keep her eyes open.

He looked concerned, but after a moment he shrugged his shoulders.

"Alright." He leaned over the couch and covered her in a blanket, flashing her a small smile.

**(Chandler)**

_He walked to the door slowly and heard the faint sound of her snoring as he opened the door of her apartment._

_"Love you, Mon," he whispered. He slipped out of the room, gently closing the door behind him._

Chandler didn't feel like going to work or going for a coffee alone, so he decided to take a walk around Central Park to clear his head. He reached the park within minutes and began walkingalong one of the pathways. It was bitterly cold, and he paused to button his jacket. He began to kick the leaves beneath his feet as he walked, unleashing his anger and frustration.

Children. A child of his own. A child that was a little part of him and Monica. He couldn't help but imagine a little girl who would have Monica's hair, her eyes, her smile; a little girl who would laugh at her mother's obsession with cleanliness, but want everything clean herself; a little girl who would cringe at her father's terrible jokes and puns, but find herself having the same sense of humour.

But he wasn't ready for the responsibility of a child. Sure, he had grown up a bit thesepast few months, but a child was a whole different matter.

Wasn't it?

Chandler's thoughts were interrupted by a gentle tap on his heel. He looked around to find a small child picking up his soccer ball.

"Sorry mister!" exclaimed the child. He ran off before Chandler could say anything.

He watched the child return to his parents. His father lifted him up onto his shoulders and spun him around, while his mother held the hand of a little girl, wrapped up in layers of winter clothes. The little boy asked his father to lift put him down, and the family held hands as they walked out of the park.

Chandler surprised himself when herealised that he was a little jealous of their seemingly perfect little family. He had thought before about having a child with Monica. Not often, and not seriously, but the thought had been there. Now that he knew Monica had actually been pregnant, it seemed so real.

_I could have been a father._

The thought hit him like a ton of bricks. They could have had a little boy or girl in a few months time, but that baby had been ripped away from them. Chandler stomped his foot in frustration.

He knew that Monica wanted a child. She had mentioned it several times before they had started dating. He remembered vividly when Ben was born, and when Phoebe gave birth to the twins. He could see it in her eyes that she wanted a baby of her own, and she would make such a good mother.

Chandler decided, that if Monica wanted a baby, he'd think about it. But would she think they were ready?

He collapsed on a nearby bench, no longer able to concentrate on both his thoughts and walking in a straight line.

_A baby._ he thought, running his hands through his hair. A living, breathing human who would be depending on him. That was a lot of responsibility... Chandler didn't know if he was ready.

_Well maybe Monica isn't ready either!_ a voice in his head reassured him.

_Please, any fool can see the way she looks at Ben. She wants one of her own,_ another voice countered.

Chandler shook his head. He was having too many of these conversations with himself to be normal. He sat on the bench for a while, just lost in his thoughts.

A sharp gust of wind broke his reverie. He looked at his watchand was shocked to realise that it was 1:30. How long had he sat on that bench? He decided to go back upstairs and wake Monica. They needed to get this discussion over with so that they both knew where they stood.

Were they ready for a child? He didn't really think so. They had been dating for only 9 months or so. Not even a whole year. They hadn't discussed living together, and now they were thinking about having children? Chandler felt uncomfortable even thinking about it, but he wanted Monica to be happy. He hoped that she would say they weren't ready. He wanted children in the future...but not now. It was too soon.

Chandler reached the apartment building quickly. He walked up the stairs slowly, passing a man who was obviously in a hurry. Upon reaching the apartment, he tried to open the door, but found resistance. He pushed harder and managed to open it a little bit. He peered inside.

"Monica?"

**A/N: Hope you guys like it! Reviews are always appreciated and who knows, if enough a lot of them I might even try put the next chapter up before my exams... ;) Also, if you guys have any ideas for scenes you might like to see in the fic, message me. Just something I might try out when writers block kid being particularly cruel. :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry it's been so long since my last update, but writers block was really getting to me on this one. I hope it's okay.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Friends, or the characters, or the sets, or, y'know, ANYTHING.**

**(Monica)**

Monica tossed and turned on the couch. She glanced at her watch. 12:30. Chandler had left only a few minutes ago, as she had pretended to sleep, but her brain was whizzing.

A miscarriage. She had been pregnant. Pregnant with Chandler's child.

She couldn't decide if this was a bad omen or a blessing in disguise. She wanted children. She had known that since she was 14 years old. Two children, a little girl named Emma and a little boy named Daniel.

Emma and Daniel...Bing?

_Don't torture yourself like this. You saw Chandler's face at the appointment - he isn't ready for this. Not by a long shot._

Looking after Joey, a man-child, was no longer fulfilling enough for Monica. She wanted a little baby, someone she could play peek-a-boo with and make funny faces at. She wanted to teach a baby to walk and talk, and hear him or her say, 'Mama!'

She wanted all that, and more. Even if Chandler didn't want kids now, she needed to see where he stood on the possibility of having them in the future. She didn't want to scare him away by demanding they have children. She knew he just wasn't ready for that stage yet.

_Maybe__we should move in together?_

A knock on the door a few minutes later brought her back to earth. She wondered who it could be. None of her friends ever knocked, preferring to just walk right in.

She opened the door to reveal a rather good-looking man standing in front of her.

"Can I help you?" Monica asked.

The man smiled nervously. "Hi, I'm looking for Monica Geller? I'm Darren Perry - her mother said she would be here."

Monica Geller was speechless.

"H-Hi. I'm…I'm Monica," she stuttered.

The man's face lit up with a dazzling smile.

"Hi Monica. As I said, I'm Darren." He stuck out his hand, and Monica shook it weakly.

"So, Darren...why are you here?"

"I wanted to make sure we were still on for tonight!" he explained cheerfully.

Monica groaned. _That stupid date I forgot to cancel! This must be him. Oh god, Monica. Maybe your mother was right. Maybe you do need to sort your life out. This visit couldn't come at a worse time,_she thought to herself.

"Ah, Monica?"

Darren was looking uncomfortable in the doorway. "Have I come at a bad time? You look like you have a lot on your mind."

Monica smiled uneasily. "It's not the best time. Look, Darren, I -"

He began to back away from the door. "It's fine really, we can talk later -"

"Actually, we can't," Monica interrupted.

His face turned to one of shock. "Ah, why? Have I got the wrong date?"

Monica sighed. "No, Darren, you see...I have a boyfriend. Only...I haven't told my mother. She disapproves of every man I date and takes so much pleasure in my break-ups that it's easier to pretend I'm unhappy. But I'm really happy now, and I'm sorry you came out here for nothing, but our date is off tonight." She bit her lip and smiled awkwardly. "Sorry."

Darren blinked. "Wow. That's...uh...that's quite a story. I'm sorry to have bothered you, Monica." He rocked awkwardly on his heels, then nodded. "I hope you'll be very happy with your boyfriend. I'll be going now. It was nice to meet you," he said, with a small smile. He disappeared from the doorway, and Monica heard him stomp down the stairs. She closed the door and leaned back against it, slowly sliding down until she was sitting on the floor.

_Relax, Monica. He's not hurt. With that story you just rattled off, he's probably congratulating himself on a lucky escape._

She felt something against the door, pushing her slowly towards the counter. Unwilling to move, she prayed it wasn't Darren again, or a criminal of some sort. If it was, they could just take whatever they wanted. She didn't have the energy to deal with anyone or anything.

"Monica?" a familiar voice called out.

**(Chandler)**

"Monica?" Chandler called again.

He pushed against the door slowly.

"Mon, are you sitting against the door? Because I'd like to come in, y'know, if you don't mind."

He heard her sigh and heave herself up. He pushed again and the door swung open to reveal a distressed Monica. He immediately became concerned.

"Sweetie, what's the matter?"

She looked guilty, and began fiddling with the buttons on her cardigan.

"Monica...," he said suspiciously.

"The, uh, guy, that I was, uh, supposed to be going on a... y'know, date with... He, uh, called around a while ago. Not long ago. You must have just missed him."

Chandler recalled the man who came flying down the stairs towards him only moments ago.

"Yeah, I think I saw him," he said, feeling a twinge of jealousy.

Monica stopped fidgeting, and spoke again.

"I told him," she said with satisfaction. "I told him that I couldn't go out with him."

"Good. I'm glad," he said, smiling. He took a step towards her, and held out his arms awkwardly. She rushed into them, and Chandler wrapped his arms around her.

It felt different, though. It wasn't like their usual hugs, where he hugged her tightly and never wanted to let go. It was tense and awkward. Her fingers didn't dance across the nape of his neck or make their way into his hair, as they often did. There was a space, a distance between them that Chandler couldn't quite describe.

Something had changed.

**(Monica)**

Monica could feel this space too. She stood there, with his arms around her, and her arms around his neck. But she didn't hold onto him like she usually did. Sometimes, when they hugged, Monica would press herself against him, and it felt like they became one person.

But it didn't feel like that, and Monica couldn't understand why. Maybe they needed to talk about the appointment. Maybe, like her, Chandler was feeling overwhelmed by all that happened. In just a few short hours, her world had been flipped and turned upside down. Pregnancy. Cancer. A miscarriage. It was too much for her to handle alone.

Although she didn't feel like it, Monica needed Chandler now more than ever. She needed to wrap her arms around him. She clung to him tightly, breathing in the smell of his cologne.

Monica felt a hand on her chin and her head tilted upwards.

"Mon, you don't look so good. Are you feeling all right?," Chandler asked, concerned. "You've turned pale. Mon?"

She felt wobbly on her feet and shook her head weakly.

"No… Chandler, I don't feel well. I…"

_Oh god._

Her eyes closed, her feet gave way, and the last thing she remembered was Chandler's arms wrapped firmly around her.

* * *

"Hey, I think she's waking up."

"Oh, thank god."

"Mon? Mon, are you awake?"

"Someone should go get Chandler."

"Rach, relax, he's only gone to talk to the nurse. He'll be back in 10 minutes."

"I know Ross, but he's been waiting here for her to wake up."

"Look, if she wakes up properly and he's not back, I'll go find him."

"Thanks Joey."

"Ooh, she's opening her eyes! Follow the light Monica! FOLLOW THE LIGHT!"

"Pheebs, this is a hospital, stop shouting!"

"Right, sorry."

Monica opened her eyes slowly, blinking as at the strong bright light that almost blinded her. She closed them again, and opened them slower, blinking quickly, trying to adjust. She saw the blurry faces of people standing over her. As the world came into focus, she spotted a television mounted on the blank wall behind one blurry figure, and a bunch of flowers on a small windowsill to her left. Another figure leaned against a wooden door, and two more sat in chairs beside her bed.

The figures went silent as she tried to sit up. They were watching her. She rubbed her eyes furiously. The faces became clearer, and she realised that it was her friends... except she could only count four of them.

"Where's...Where's Chandler?" she asked.

Rachel leaned over from her chair and placed her hand on Monica's. "He's talking to the nurse." She turned to Joey, standing at the foot of the bed, and gestured her other hand towards the door. Joey leapt up as Phoebe moved away from the door, running to find Chandler.

"Joey's gone to get him," Rachel added.

"Mon, I'm so glad you're awake," said Ross, watching her struggle to make sense of what was happening.

_What the hell is going on?_ Monica wondered. _Alright, calm yourself. You are clearly in a hospital, surrounded by your friends. What's the last thing you remember?_

_Hugging Chandler in my apartment after the other guy left. Okay, that's a start._

_What day was that? Wednesday? Monday? I really have no idea. Friday? Forget it. I'll just wait until Chandler gets back._

Suddenly, Chandler rushed into the room and stood beside Monica.

"Oh Mon, you're awake!"

Rachel let go of Monica and sat back into her chair.

A man Monica vaguely recognised followed Chandler in. He stepped aside to allow him closer to Monica.

"Hello, Ms. Geller. How are you feeling?" he asked.

_Damn, what's his name?_

Chandler intervened. "Mon, you do remember Dr. Andrews, right?"

Monica nodded. "Right, of course."

There was a brief pause. "I feel fine," Monica added.

The doctor nodded slowly and took something down on his clipboard.

"Ms. Geller, I need to ask you some questions if that's -"

"Can I ask one first?" Monica interrupted.

Dr. Andrews looked surprised, but gestured for her to continue.

"Why am I here?"

The sharp intake of breath by each person in the room and the looks shared between the friends wasn't lost on her.

Chandler squeezed Monica's hand gently.

"Mon, what's the last thing you remember?" he asked.

"I remember you coming back to my apartment. I was sitting on the floor. I got up, and we hugged... I was pretty stressed." She shook her head. "I don't remember anything after that."

Monica gave Chandler a small smile. He seemed to be in shock.

The doctor turned to face Chandler. "Do you remember this incident, Mr. Bing?"

Chandler nodded. "I think so. This was the day of the appointment, right Mon?"

Monica nodded. She wondered if Chandler had told their friends about the appointment, or if they assumed it was just a routine check-up.

"You don't remember anything after that, Ms. Geller?" Dr. Andrews asked.

"No... Is that bad? When was that?" Monica asked, suddenly fearful that, like in some books she had read, she had suffered brain damage and lost her memory of a whole two years. Or something like that.

"No, Mon, it's fine. That was 3 days ago. You fainted...in my arms." Chandler said, his voice cracking. He took a breath. "I tried to wake you, but you didn't respond, your pulse was weak and I was worried, so Phoebe came and brought you to the hospital. You were still unconscious, so they decided to keep you under observation. We thought you might be going to be in a coma. But then you woke up the next morning. You were smiling like nothing was wrong. You got up out of bed to use the bathroom, and then you fainted again. I was so scared, Mon. I didn't know what was wrong. Anyway, I carried you back to bed, and you were unconscious until...well, a few minutes ago," Chandler explained. He flashed her a small smile.

"Ms. Geller, I think that covers all of my questions. You seem fine. Your vitals are much healthier than they were when you woke up last time. If you manage to walk to the bathroom without any help and without fainting, you are free to go. I'm certain that this was simply brought on by stress. I insist on several days of bed rest and relaxation, followed by a further check-up in a weeks time."

Monica got up and walked slowly to her bathroom in the corner of the room. It was small and cramped. She relieved herself quickly before washing her hands thoroughly. Then she walked back to her bed and sat down.

"Good enough for me. If you have any problems, Mr. Bing, Ms. Geller, don't hesitate to contact me," Dr. Andrews announced. He left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

Ross looked incredulous.

"They're just letting you leave?"

Rachel patted his arm condescendingly and he glared at her, but said nothing more.

Chandler turned to Monica and smiled.

"Ready to go home?" he asked.

She returned his smile.

"I can't wait," she replied.

**A/N: Okay, I promise I will try and update faster. There's probably only 3 or 4 chapters left in this.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I feel like all I'm doing in these authors notes is apologising for not updating sooner... and that's not changing now. Sorry! I'll try harder to update quicker - promise.**

**Disclaimer: If you don't know that I own zilch by now, you really should have read the other chapters more thoroughly. Anyways, I own none of it. Not a thing.**

**(Monica)**

It had been two days since Monica had come home from the hospital. She was in her apartment with Rachel and Phoebe. They had decided to have a girls night and were now sitting on Monica's couch with a bottle of wine, Rachel moaning about how she was 'finished with men', after her last date had turned out to be a disaster.

"C'mon Rach, it can't have been that bad," Phoebe giggled.

Rachel groaned. "Pheebs, you just don't get it. It was awful! I mean, sure, it started off nice. He brought me to a nice restaurant, ordered a bottle of wine, he was really charming...then suddenly, he starts picking his nose! It was gross! So I'm there thinking, 'this is so gross', and then the waiter comes to take our order, and he orders more food than Joey would!" Rachel sighed. "I thought, okay, I can put up with the massive amounts of food. But the nose picking was disgusting. The meal was okay, we had a nice chat…But when the server came back with the check, he picked it up, and I'm thinking, okay, just wait for him to say he's going to pay. I'm smiling at him, and he looks like he's doing some serious calculations in his head. Suddenly, he puts the check back on the table and says, 'Okay, so it came to 63, so that's 31.50 each.' And he smiled at me! Can you believe it?"

"Noooo!" Monica and Phoebe said in unison.

"I know, right! God, I'm so finished with guys!" Rachel said, burying her head in her hands.

Just then, the phone rang, and Monica got up to answer it, walking away from the couch to the window.

"Hello?"

"Heeeeyy Mon."

"Chandler? Is that you?"

"Uh - huh. It's me," Chandler giggled.

Monica was confused.

"Have you been drinking?" she asked accusingly.

"Uh, maybe."

"Chandler..."

"Okay, okay, okay. I might have had a little bit to drink. Anyways... I just called to say...," he mumbled.

"Say what?"

"I just called to say that I love you Mon," he said slowly.

Monica smiled to the phone.

"Mon? You there?"

"Yeah, I'm here. I love you too, Chandler. Now go back to your friends."

"Uh, okay. Bye Mon," he slurred.

Monica shook her head as she hung up. She turned to face Rachel and Phoebe, and they were smiling up at her.

"You guys are sickly sweet, y'know that?" Rachel announced, as she collapsed dramatically onto the floor.

Monica blushed. "You're just jealous," she said, smirking.

"I am! I am jealous! Why can't I find a nice guy like you have?" Rachel moaned, throwing back the remainder of wine in her glass.

"I think she's had a bit too much to drink," Phoebe said.

Monica agreed. "If she's admitting to being jealous of my relationship with Chandler, she's definitely in a bad place." She tapped Rachel on the head and took the glass from her hand. "Okay you, go to bed." She turned back to Phoebe. "Are you crashing with Rachel?"

Phoebe nodded. "Yep. I'll take care of her." The two girls hugged, then Monica helped Phoebe get Rachel into her bed.

Monica looked at her watch. It was only 12.30am. She wondered if Chandler would go to his own apartment or come into hers. She got ready for bed, and had just gotten into bed when she heard a knock. She hurried to the front door, and a glanced through the peephole to confirm that it was Chandler. She opened the door slowly and he stumbled in, grabbing onto her to prevent a fall. She walked him to the couch and he flung himself onto it. Monica went to fetch a blanket for him, but he grabbed her hand.

"Don't go," he mumbled. She gently pushed his hand off hers.

"I'm just getting a blanket."

She retrieved a blanket from her closet and draped it over him. She had to admit, he looked downright adorable lying on her couch. His beautiful hair was sticking out in tufts, and when he looked at her, his heavy lidded blue eyes sparkled. He looked so peaceful. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice him watching her back. He took her hand again and pulled her down so she was sitting on the floor. She kissed his forehead, tried to go to her room, only to find that he wouldn't let go of her hand. He pulled in her close and kissed her softly, his breath reeking of alcohol. She pulled back, and he just looked at her, smiling.

"Mon?"

"Yeah, Chandler?"

"You're beautiful," he mumbled into the couch.

Her heart fluttered and her stomach started doing cartwheels. Monica had always been told that there are only two types of people who tell the truth: children and drunk people.

"You know, you're reaaaaaalllly beautiful," he said. "I love you, Monicaaaa," he added. He stretched his arms, and hugged her. He stank of cigarettes and alcohol, and Monica was feeling overpowered by the stench.

"Chandler, I am not sleeping on the floor and that couch was not made to sleep two."

She pulled away from him, stood up and walked towards her room. She could feel his eyes watching her.

"Mon?"

She turned back towards him.

"Yes, Chandler?"

"Do you want a kiddie?"

Monica was thrown by his question. Drunken Chandler normally didn't extend beyond declarations of love, followed by severe headaches and sometimes vomiting. Serious questions weren't part of his routine.

"I... Yes. Yeah. I... I would. Like a kid."

"Hmm," he muttered. "I want one," he said suddenly. "Yeah. I want a little kiddie." He rolled over onto his side, almost falling off the couch.

"G'night, Mon," he mumbled. Monica was moving towards her room again, when Chandler shouted, "HEY!"

She turned back towards him again, and saw his eyes shining brightly.

"Hey! You wanna know a secret?" he asked excitedly.

Monica smiled. "Sure."

"Okay, but you can't tell anyone, okay? Nobody."

"I promise."

"Okay. I'm in love with Monica. And I'm gonna marry her someday," Chandler slurred. "Not now. Not soon. But someday. Cause I love her. She's great. And she's really, really hot. But shhh! Don't tell her! I haven't told her yet!" he said.

Monica was stunned.

"Goodnight, nice lady," Chandler said loudly.

Monica shook herself. "Goodnight, Chandler," she said quietly, as she returned to her room.

She laid in bed thinking about what Chandler had said until she drifted to sleep.

Monica got up the next morning at around 9am. She was thankful to Dr. Andrews for handing her a medical note to say she couldn't go back to work for a week - she had another appointment with him the following Wednesday. Today was Saturday, and she couldn't bear the thought of going into the restaurant.

Her apartment bore all the signs of a good Friday night - there were empty wine bottles covering her table, half full glasses on her counter, shoes and clothing belonging to Chandler strewn across the floor. She shuddered, and got to work cleaning up quietly, trying not to wake Chandler. She didn't know what she was going to say to him when he woke. Sometimes, he remembered the conversations he had while drunk, and sometimes, he wouldn't remember anything. Monica didn't know which one to hope for.

By 10am, the apartment had gone from bomb site to usual, Monica-clean standards. She began making breakfast, and the strong smells brought Phoebe and Rachel out of bed, closely followed by Joey and Ross, who seemed to have stayed at Joey's the night before. The only soul who hadn't stirred was Chandler, and it wasn't long before the gang decided to wake him.

"I think we should just jump on him."

"All of us together? Joey, he's sleeping after a night out. He's going to wake up with a huge hangover, and as his girlfriend, I'm vetoing that idea since I'll be the one who has to deal with his mood," Monica said firmly.

"We could tickle him," Rachel suggested. "No wait! Get Ross to play his 'wordless sound poems'. That'll wake anyone up!" she added, smirking at Ross who had gone red.

"Ooh! We could stick his hand in a cup of water!" Joey shouted.

The group looked at him.

"Joey, man, how old are you?" Ross asked.

"Yeah, let's see you come up with a better idea!" Joey retorted.

"You know, as much as I was looking forward to these ideas being carried out, unfortunately your voices all woke me up just fine," a voice muttered sarcastically from behind them.

They turned to see Chandler sitting up on the couch, looking very pale and bleary-eyed with messed up hair. He glared at them, then focused on Monica. He gave her a weak smile. "Got any food left Mon?"

Monica served up a plate of food and brought it over to him on the couch.

"Don't get used to this," she warned.

"Yes Monica," he laughed, nodding and smiling up at her. She rolled her eyes at him and returned to their group of friends.

"Ugh, you two make me sick," Rachel groaned. "I'm going to work," she added, sounding like she dreaded the idea.

"Rach, I thought you LIKED work," Ross said.

"I do, I do! But one of the clients I don't like is coming in today to get his 'spring wardrobe'. He's a nightmare!" she exclaimed, stomping towards her room and shutting the door.

"I better go too. See you all later," said Ross. He kissed Monica on the head, slapped Joey's shoulder, and left the apartment.

"Joey, don't you have that audition today?" Phoebe asked, speaking for the first time that morning.

He hit himself on the head. "Crap, I almost forgot. Thanks Pheebs!" he yelled as he rushed out of the apartment.

Rachel re-emerged fully dressed from her bedroom.

"I'll see you guys at Central Perk later!" she said quickly as she left the apartment.

Phoebe looked back and forth between Monica at the table and Chandler on the couch.

"I suppose I should go to work too, right?" she sighed. "See you later Mon. And you too Chandler." She left the apartment, and Monica and Chandler were finally alone.

"Chandler, do you have to work today?"

"Nope, I've got the weekend off," he mumbled.

Monica walked over to him and sat on the floor next to the couch. He leaned over and kissed her head. "You okay, Mon?" he asked sleepily.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Alright."

"Chandler?"

"Yeah Mon?"

There was a brief pause.

"What do you remember from last night?"

"Uh... Not much. I remember going out with Joey and Ross... I remember calling you…" He grimaced. "Sorry about that. I remember Joey hitting on a girl and getting punched in the arm by her boyfriend...and we came back to the apartment...and I came over to see you." He scratched his head. "I think I talked to you, but I don't remember what about. Then...I think I talked to someone else. Maybe Rachel or Phoebe or someone. I don't remember though."

Monica sighed inwardly. Maybe it was better that Chandler didn't remember, but it had given her so much hope when he had said he wanted a child. And he had said he was going to marry her! To think that Chandler had thought about that, even in passing, was a huge shock. A good shock, but a shock nonetheless.

Suddenly, the phone rang, and Monica went to answer it.

"Hello?...Yes, he's here, hold on." She covered the mouthpiece with her hand. "Chandler, it's your boss, they need to talk to you."

Chandler groaned and got up, stumbling over to the phone.

"Hello?...Yes, this is Chandler...Doug, it's my day off!...Yeah...Yeah, I know. Alright fine...Just an hour or two?... Double pay? Fine Doug. I'll be there as soon as I can. Bye." He hung up the phone and his head dropped. "Something's wrong with the WENUS, I have to go to work for a little while, I'm sorry," he said, looking guilty.

Monica shook her head. "It's fine, don't worry about it!" She paused. "Your clothes and shoes are by the television."

"I'll be back as soon as I can and we can spend the day together, okay?" he said, scrambling to pick up his pile of clothes.

Monica nodded.

Chandler left the apartment quickly, shutting it with a bang. Monica stared longingly at the door. She hoped he would come back soon, because she really liked the idea of spending the day together. Suddenly, the door burst open and Chandler reappeared. He ran at her and kissed her softly, gently placing his hands on her waist.

"I love you, Mon." He said with a grin.

"I love you too, Chandler," she said, smiling. She punched him lightly. "Now get outta here."

As she watched him leave for the second time, she contemplated how lucky she was to have him.

It turns out he was boyfriend material after all.

**A/N: Okay, there's only 3 or 4 chapters left in this, max. I'll try and update them all at least one a week as opposed to once a month like I seem to be doing... aack. Sorry. Thank you all for sticking with the story - and if you guys could drop me a review, I'd really appreciate it, since interest seems to be waning.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hello everyone. It's been a month now, and I apologize. SORRY!  
**

**Disclaimer: You know the drill, I still own nothing.**

**(Monica)**

Monica paced the kitchen, phone in her hand, listening to her mother's seemingly never-ending rant about Chandler.  
"I don't know what to tell you Mom!...Yes, I know I didn't tell you about him...Yes, I know you never really liked Chandler, but Mom, you are not the one dating him!"

Monica stopped and rested her elbows on her kitchen counter.  
"You're being unreasonable! I love Chandler, okay? He's great, he's funny, he's caring, he's sweet, and he loves me! Is that so terrible?... Uh-huh, and he's the same age as Ross! That's why you didn't like me dating Richard, wasn't it?" Monica yelled. She paused as her mother launched into a full-scale attack on her relationships - past and present.

Monica sighed, burying her head in her hands. "Mom...Mom...MOM!" Monica yelled into the phone, attempting to interrupt her mother's tirade. "Please let it go. I'm sure...Darren...was lovely, but for god's sake Mom, I'm not going to go out with him just because you don't like Chandler! Nine months we've been dating, Mom! This is one of the longest relationships I've ever been in! I'm happy! Why can't you just accept it?" Monica continued yelling, but her mother kept going.  
"Yeah, well I didn't ask you to set me up - don't try to turn this back on me," Monica said bitterly.

She heard the door of her apartment open and Rachel's sighs as she entered.

"Mom, I'll talk to you later." She hung up the phone quickly**, **before her mom could protest,and turned to face her friend.

"Everything okay, Rach?"

Rachel responded with a glare. "No, everything is NOT okay. That stupid client made a complaint about me! He actually claimed that I was deliberately giving him all the expensive clothes! So what? I mean, if you saw this guy, not even our best clothes could make him look good! Two days I've been stuck with him! It feels like two years! I just couldn't take it anymore! So my boss sent me home for the rest of the day to 'cool off.'" She groaned.

"Cool off?" Monica repeated.

Rachel looked at her guiltily. "Well, I... I may have TOLD the client what I just told you. About the expensive clothes. And he didn't really like that. And we may or may not have started shouting at each other in the store," Rachel replied sheepishly.

"Rach!"

Rachel groaned. "Mon, I know! I know I shouldn't have but god, it was SO worth it to see the look on his face when he told him!" She flung herself onto the couch and buried her head in a pillow.

Monica rolled her eyes. "You've got to apologize to him."

Rachel popped up from the couch, a pained expression on her face. "I did already! In the store before I left!"

Monica raised an eyebrow, looking at Rachel suspiciously.

"ALRIGHT FINE! So it wasn't really an apology. Ugh, I'll find his number at work tomorrow." Rachel got up from the couch. "I think I'll go for a walk and clear my head. You wanna come with?" she asked.

Monica shook her head. "Chandler promised he'd be home soon."

Rachel shrugged. "Suit yourself."

She went into her room and got changed, reappearing moments later, fully dressed in her running gear.

"See you later!" she said somewhat cheerfully as she left.

Monica decided to nap until Chandler came home. She needed to plan out how to bring up the subject of the previous night.

* * *

"Mon, I'm back!"

Monica ran from her bedroom and into Chandler's arms, reaching up and kissing him passionately. He seemed surprised, but didn't resist. When she broke away a minute or two later, he held up his hands, asking for an explanation. "Not that I'm complaining, but what was that?"

Monica smiled shyly. "I missed you, that's all."

His mouth broke into a wide grin. "Well, I missed you too," he said, smiling as he leaned in for another kiss. Monica responded eagerly, wrapping her arms around his neck and running her fingers through his hair.

"Mmmm..." Chandler sighed involuntarily.

Monica gently pulled away and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Chandler, we need to -"

The door of her apartment swung open.

_I can't catch a break!_ Monica thought, sighing inwardly.

Rachel appeared in the doorway, no longer dressed in her running clothes.

_Wow, how long was I asleep that Rachel had time to come back, __and __change, and then leave again, _she wondered.

"Ross and I are going to meet Phoebe and Joey at the movies. Do you guys want to join us?"

Chandler and Monica shared a look, Monica silently pleading with Chandler not to accept Rachel's invite. Luckily, he understood.

He casually threw his arm around her shoulder. "Actually Rach, I'm really beat after work today, so I think we'll just watch a movie here." He glanced at Monica, seeming to seek confirmation that that was indeed what she wanted. She nodded slightly, and Chandler continued speaking with confidence. "Yeah, and it's been a while since we've both been off work before 8pm so, rain check?" he finished cheerfully.

Rachel smirked, clearly assuming that they just wanted some alone time.

"Sure sure, that's fine, rain check," Rachel said. She paused to slyly wink at Monica while Chandler looked over towards the rain pounding violently against the window of the girl's apartment. She turned on her heel and walked out of the apartment, shouting "I'll see you guys later!" as she left.

Monica sighed as the apartment door closed gently. Chandler placed his hands gently on her hips and gazed into her eyes.

"So, movie?" he asked, suddenly appearing unsure whether the 'movie at home' plan was serious or just a ruse to get rid of Rachel.

Monica stood up on her toes and kissed his nose lightly. "Yeah, and I'm feeling nice this evening, so I'll even let you pick.

Chandler feigned a look of shock. "Mon, are you sure? You feeling alright?" he joked.

She rolled her eyes and punched him in the bicep. "Ow ow ow!," he exclaimed.

"Stop being such a baby!" she laughed.

He glared at her, not taking kindly to her lack of sympathy to his painful plight.

"You just hit me! You are freakishly strong, and you just hit me! I think I should be allowed a bit of moaning!" He rolled up his shirt sleeve, revealing his deceptively large bicep. He squinted at the spot where Monica had punched him and grimaced. "Yeah, that's going to leave a mark," he moaned.  
Monica rolled her eyes again. "Jeez, you really know how to make a girl feel good about herself," she muttered sarcastically, feeling oddly hurt by his accusation.  
His face immediately contorted into one of pain. "C'mon Mon, you know I didn't mean it like that."  
She sniffed, blinking back a solitary tear which had formed in the corner of her eye. "Yeah, I know."

He took a step towards her, taking her hand and gently pulling her towards the couch. She sat down and watched him search the cabinet beneath the television for a film they could enjoy.

"Okay...uh... Die Hard? Weekend at Bernies? Liar Liar? The Breakfast Club? Uh..." He removed a dusty box from the back of the cabinet and wiped it furiously with his sleeve. When the writing became visible, he stared incredulously at the box for a minute before transferring the same look of disbelief to Monica.

"Casablanca? I thought you didn't like Humphrey Bogart!"

Monica shrugged. "It's Rachel's. And it's not that I don't like him, I just don't like the movie. I don't understand why Rick can't just tell Ilsa he loves her instead of using 'Here's looking at you, kid'."

Chandler looked momentarily confused. "Wait, that's what that means?" He shook his head in disbelief. "This film makes so much more sense now!"

Monica couldn't help but laugh at Chandler's little moment of realization. "When was the last time you watched it?"

Chandler cocked his head to the left. "Uhh, sometime in college. I remember watching it with Ross and Carol and Carol's roommate. It was just a few months after Ross and Carol started dating and they decided to set me up with Carol's roommate so the two of us wouldn't feel left out."

He started laughing, obviously remembering the evening. "It was awful. Ross and Carol started making out half way through, and the two of us were just left watching this film that neither of us liked. I didn't understand it. Neither of us were attracted to each other - I remember turning to her at the end to ask if she wanted to grab a coffee or something while Ross and Carol...y'know...and she told me not to try to kiss her because she liked someone else and she was pretty sure he was going to ask her out." He grimaced. "One of those few special times I got shot down when I wasn't even trying to do anything," he said. "Anyway, so yeah, it was a few years ago. Any decision on which movie do you want to watch?"

Monica waved her hand dismissively. "Just pick one you want."

Chandler shrugged, and shoved some video that Monica didn't see into the VCR. She leaned back against the cushions and closed her eyes, listening to the starting theme of a movie she didn't recognise. She heard Chandler moving behind her, glasses and bottles clinking, and he returned moments later with two glasses of champagne. She opened her eyes, he handed a glass to Monica, and she raised her glass to clink against his.

"Cheers!" she said.

"Cheers," he agreed. He sipped the drink and gazed at Monica.

"Hey, Mon." He grinned, raising his glass once more. "Here's looking at you, kid." Monica stared back, trying to hide the smile that threatened to take over her face. He smiled a charming smile, and, leaning over to her ear whispered, "I love you, Monica."

He leaned back on the couch, and she rested her head on his shoulder, her eyes closed. "I love you too, Chandler."

Chandler yawned and stretched his arm casually over her shoulder, and they sat back to enjoy the movie. Before she knew it, she was asleep.

Monica opened her eyes and blinked as she stretched her arms. She realized that there was someone beside her, and turning her head she saw Chandler grinning down at her.

"Hey, sleepyhead," he said, still smiling.

"Hey," Monica mumbled. "How long was I asleep?"

Chandler laughed.

_He really does have a wonderful laugh_, Monica thought to herself.

"About 20 minutes into the 2 hour long movie, which is now over. I take it you weren't enjoying it?" He laughed again.

"Mmm," Monica whispered mumbled again.

She was snuggled up on the couch under a blanket, head resting on his shoulder and his arm draped around her. He kissed her forehead, and she moved closer, sitting on his lap.

"I've missed you Mon," he whispered.

She knew exactly how he felt. They had spent every day together since they had found out about the miscarriage, but it had been awkward, and every time Monica tried to discuss what Chandler had told her while he was drunk, something had interrupted her.

This was her opportunity.

"We need to talk."

Chandler grimaced. "Four words nobody ever wants to hear," he laughed, awkwardly. He wrapped both arms around her waist.

"Everything okay?"

She fidgeted in his arms, unsure how to begin the conversation.

"We haven't really talked about what Dr. Andrews said we should talk about," she said quickly. "And I think we should do that now, because it's starting to eat away at me."

Chandler nodded. "Okay then," he said.

Monica sighed. "Okay. Well...You know, that I...That I have..."

"That you've always wanted children," Chandler finished for her.

Monica smiled. "Yes, exactly. I've always wanted a child. I still do. And... I didn't really know it before...But now that we've had a scare...I'm pretty sure that I...That I...want them with you," she finished, biting her lip.

Chandler stared at the couch for a few moments.

"Chandler?"

He removed one hand from her waist and ran his fingers though his hair, breathing in and out deeply.

"Wow," he said softly.

Monica didn't know what to say. "Wow what, Chandler?"

He shook his head. "You...You really think you want to have a kid...with me?" he asked, almost disbelieving.

Monica nodded shyly. "Yeah. I...I really think I do."

He nodded again. "Okay...Okay. I gave it...Some thought. Actually, I gave it a lot of thought over the past week. I was never really...Y'know, keen on having children. I wasn't against them, but until you and I...started, well y'know, dating, I could barely commit to a woman. Kids were never even an idea. But when I found out that we could have had one but it was just ripped away from us...I was upset, y'know? I started thinking about what it might be like, to be a dad. And I was walking through the park when I saw a little boy and a girl and their parents. They looked so happy. And I was jealous, because they got two little kids, and we didn't even get one. I realized then, that yeah. I would like to have children. Not right now. Maybe not even this year, or the year after. But someday, I'd like them," he said. He gave Monica a sideways smile. "And there's no one in the world I'd rather have them with than you," he finished.

Monica could feel tears forming in her eyes. Chandler saw them and wiped them away as he leaned in and kissed to kiss her softly.

"I love you, Monica Geller."

She smiled at him through watery eyes.

"And I love you, Chandler Bing."

Monica leaned back and rested her head against his chest, just listening to his heartbeat. A thought struck her and she sat up again.

"You know, I kinda knew you had thought about children," she said, a guilty smile on her face.

Chandler looked shocked. "Really? How?"

Monica grinned. "You were talking about it that night you came home drunk last week."

Chandler shuddered involuntarily at the memory. "God, I can't remember mentioning anything." He cocked his head to the side. "Are you sure?"

Monica nodded, laughing. "Yes Chandler, I remember very clearly. I was surprised to say the least! You asked me if I wanted a 'kiddie', then proceeded to tell me that you wanted one too."

_But that's not all you said,_ she thought. _Now or never, Geller._

"Huh," Chandler scratched his head in confusion. "Did I say anything else?"

Monica bit her lip, unsure whether to bring up the subject of marriage. They had already discussed children - wasn't that enough for one night?

_TELL HIM MONICA. Otherwise it'll eat away at you. You'll always want to know._

"Mon?"

She sighed deeply, moving her face into the crook of his neck, where it rested comfortably.

"Yeah, you said some other things too," she said uncomfortably.

He moved back to look at her, refusing to break eye contact. This was bad. She rarely made rational decisions when looking into his eyes. She always got distracted. They were such a beautiful colour, like the sea on a sunny -

_FOCUS GELLER. Look away,_ she told herself.

"Mon? You're scaring me now. Did I say something bad?" he asked, a concerned expression taking over his beautiful face.

She shook her head rapidly. "No, no! Nothing bad! Just...Just something that I'm not sure you're ready to hear. Something I'm not sure you'd want to hear."

His cheeks were turning pale and he looked sick with worry. "Okay Mon, spit it out. You have me very worried."

Monica couldn't bring herself to look into his eyes. "You...uh...you mentioned that you were going to...uh...marry me." She fiddled with the buttons of her shirt awkwardly, not wanting to look at him while he took in the news.

He surprised her by breathing a sigh of pure relief.

"Was that all? God Mon, You had me terrified! I was worried I had said something awful about you in my sleep or something!"

Monica raised one eyebrow and Chandler quickly tried to backtrack.

"I mean, not that I'd ever say anything bad about you, because I love you so much...And uh, obviously I couldn't say anything bad about you, because you are perfect to me," he said quickly, smiling his 'I'm sorry, I love you, please don't kill me' smile. "I love you," he added.

Monica was trying not to smile, but when he smiled like that, it was so hard to stay mad at him.

_Not to mention his eyes. God, they're just so blue. How did I only notice this about a year ago?_

"Mon," he said slowly, dragging out the word. "Are you okay?"

She stared at him, one eyebrow still raised.

"So...To sum up. You do want to have children...not now, but at some point." He nodded in reassurance. "And you do intend to marry me...someday." She couldn't help smiling at that one, and again he nodded.

"Okay. Well, that was easier than I expected thought."

Now it was Chandler's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Were you anticipating this going badly?"

Monica's cheeks turned slightly pink.

"Not...badly. But you took the news so much better than I expected!"

He grinned. "That's good then." He leaned in and kissed her on the lips, savouring the moment. She gently pushed him down onto the couch, not breaking the kiss.

"Mmm," Monica sighed happily.

Chandler raised an eyebrow. "Bedroom?" he asked, sounding almost uncomfortable as he finished the word.

Monica winked at him, and all traces of discomfort faded from his face. He slid from the couch gently and, in one fluid motion, scooped Monica into his arms and charged towards the bedroom, slowing slightly to allow her to kick the door open, and slam it shut behind them the couple.

**A/N: Okay you guys, this is the penultimate chapter ie. the next one will be the last one. And I promise it will not be a month before I upload it.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: IT'S THE LAST CHAPTER! Are you excited? I'm excited.**

**Disclaimer: For the last time guys, I own nothing. NADA.**

Chandler fidgeted uncomfortably in his suit. He was sweating like crazy; he tugged furiously at his tie, trying to loosen it.

"Relax man! You'd swear you were in trouble or something."

Chandler glared at the man behind him, aimlessly flicking through the television channels.

"Joe, this is one of the most important nights of my life. I cannot relax." He began to pace his apartment, running his fingers through his hair and nervously loosening his tie again. He suddenly felt a comforting hand on his back, and he turned around to face Joey.

"Look Chandler. I've known you for...well, a long time now, and I've known Monica just as long. You guys are perfect for each other, y'know? Everyone can see it. I mean, I was convinced that you two had a thing when I first moved in. So just relax, okay? She's gonna say yes, I guarantee it."

Chandler smiled at his friend's attempt to calm him down. "Thanks man." He looked at his watch. 6:40.

He had to go over to Monica's now - their reservations were for 7.30, and he didn't want to be late.

He smiled nervously at Joey, who grinned. "You'll be fine man. I can't believe you're going to propose!"

"Okay. Okay, I'm going. Wish me luck." He took a deep breath, felt in his jacket pocket for the ring, and left the apartment. He could hear voices coming from inside Monica's apartment, and he paused for a moment to listen.

"-yeah, I don't know Rach."

"C'mon Pheebs, they've been going out for like, two years, it's their anniversary... I think he might! Plus, he's been acting really awkward and suspicious around everyone lately."

"Maybe you're right. I thought he'd wait a little while longer though."

"Sure! Hey, let's ask Mon what she thinks. Mon? Have you noticed Chandler acting weird lately?"

Chandler was shocked. Clearly he hadn't been hiding his nervousness as well as he thought. He strained to hear Monica's response, but all he heard was a muffled reply.

"Really? Huh, maybe it's just me then. Anyways, Mon, you think tonight could be the night?"

Chandler's heart was hammering in his chest. This conversation could ruin his plans. Then Chandler heard Monica's voice.

"The night for what, Rach?"

"Y'know, the night where Chandler finally overcomes the last of his commitment issues and proposes?"

"I don't know Rach...this is Chandler, remember?"

"Well yeah, but okay, if he did...would you say yes?"

Chandler was huddled against the door, terrified he might miss Monica's response, hoping against hope that she would say -

"Yes."

Chandler felt like his heart almost exploded with happiness. She was going to say yes. He took a deep breath and opened the apartment door.

"Hello, little ones," he said cheerfully.

Phoebe and Rachel turned to face him. Monica was nowhere to be seen, so Chandler assumed she was in her room.

"Wow, looking good Chandler! You sure got all dressed up!" Rachel said, winking conspiratorially at him. "Oh, and thanks for agreeing to stay with Joey last night - the three of us had a blast!"

Chandler waved a hand dismissively. "Forget about it, it's okay. I'd forgotten how uncomfortable my old bed was in comparison to mine and Monica's though."

"Yeah, Chandler**," **Phoebe said," you look great! Now I see why you were getting ready in Joey's apartment. I think Monica is almost ready." She turned towards Monica's room. "Monica, Chandler is here!" she yelled. Monica's head appeared around the door, and a large smile spread across her features when she saw him. He returned the smile. "Hey, I'll just be 5 minutes, okay?" she asked.

He nodded. "'Kay."

Monica disappeared into her room and shut the door. Chandler rested against the counter, and Phoebe and Rachel sat at the table, staring at him.

"You're going to, aren't you," Rachel smirked.

"He is, he definitely is," Phoebe said, nodding in agreement.

Chandler felt his face redden and his tie felt too tight again. "Going to do what?"

The two girls shared a look.

"You know..." Rachel leaned across the table. "Propose!" she whispered.

Chandler smiled a nervous smile. "Why would you say that?"

Phoebe laughed. Chandler suddenly realised why they seemed to know so much.

"Oh my god, what did Joey tell you?" he whispered nervously.

Rachel and Phoebe looked awkwardly at their shoes. "He may have said you were thinking about it a few weeks ago...," Rachel muttered.

"And he may or may not have ditched us to help you shop for the ring... Obviously we wouldn't let him go without telling us where he was going!" Phoebe continued.

"And we might have seen you coming out of the shop with a ring... and then we may or may not have sneaked into your apartment to see it - by the way, nice choice, she'll love it," Rachel finished.

"I will kill Joey," Chandler muttered, banging his fist off the counter. He heard a door creak, so he looked up, and all thoughts of killing Joey flew from his mind. Monica was leaning awkwardly against the door, smiling nervously at the trio.

Chandler's breath was caught in his throat. She looked positively stunning. Beautiful. Radiant. And this was the woman he was about to ask to marry him.

"Wow, Mon, you...You're beautiful," Chandler stuttered, still trying to comprehend that the beauty in front of him was his. Why on earth had she chosen him over all the other men in Manhattan?

She blushed, and walked towards him. He offered her his hand, and they said their goodbyes to Phoebe and Rachel before exiting the apartment. Chandler could have sworn he saw Rachel wink at him as he left, and Phoebe mouthed "good luck."

Hearts beating faster than ever, the couple descended the stairs and into the cab that awaited them.

"Chandler! This place is amazing!" Monica exclaimed as he led her into the foyer of the restaurant.

His smile extended from ear to ear. He offered his arm and she hooked onto it as they strolled towards the large glass doors of the restaurant.

"Well, it's our two-year anniversary, and you mentioned a while ago that you always wanted to eat here, so I thought, 'Hey! There's an idea!'" he said happily.

She laughed.

_God, I love her laugh._

The couple approached the host, and Chandler discussed the details of the reservation. The man nodded and led them to their table.

Monica gasped. "Oh, Chandler...It's beautiful."

Chandler had managed to reserve a table next to the large glass window of the restaurant, where they could enjoy breathtaking views of night-time in New York City. He pulled out Monica's chair before sitting down himself and taking her hand across the table.

"Happy Anniversary, Mon."

She grinned. "Happy Anniversary, Chandler."

"I love you," she added.

He smirked, and handed her a glass of wine which the waiter had just delivered. He held his up towards her, and they clinked glasses.

"Here's looking at you, kid!" he exclaimed.

The appetizer and main course passed without any issues, but by the time dessert was ordered Chandler was feeling nervous. The ring in his pocket felt like a deadweight, but he knew he had to relax or Monica would realise something was wrong. She disappeared to the bathroom just before the dessert arrived, and Chandler went back over what he was going to say in his mind. Ross, when asked, had suggested numerous ideas for proposals. Chandler had laughed at the sheer amount of ideas, and now understood that it wasn't marriage Ross enjoyed, but the proposals.

He decided against the endless clichés - finding the ring in the dessert or in her wine (very unsanitary), having a few violinists appear from nowhere to serenade her, or having fireworks appear over the river. He didn't want to make a huge deal out of it. This night was about him and Monica, and he figured that the more extravagant it got, the greater the chance that something could go wrong. He nervously replayed the speech he had spent hours practicing in the mirror in his head.

Monica returned from the bathroom, and the dessert arrived only moments later. They ate slowly, in no rush to end the night early, and just enjoying this night to celebrate them. By the time the waiter eventually arrived to refill their wine glasses and take their dirty plates, Chandler was sweating. He knew he would have to make his move soon or risk chickening out altogether. He must have looked as nervous as he felt, because Monica reached across the table and squeezed his hand, breaking his reverie.

"Chandler? Are you okay?"

He took a deep breath, knowing that it was his time.

He smiled a big, nervous smile, and squeezed her hand.

"I'm fine. Really fine. In fact, I am better than I have been in a long time. And it's all because of you, Mon."

She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, seeming to suspect where the conversation was going. Chandler's voice grew gradually louder and began to shake as he continued speaking.

"I have been planning this moment for over a year. Thinking about it for the better part of the two glorious years we have spent together. And I thought that it mattered, what I said or where I said it. And then I realised, that the only thing that matters is that you make me happier than I ever thought I could be. And if you'll let me, I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you feel the same way."

Many eyes in the restaurant had now turned to the couple, watching Chandler make his speech and Monica smiling with tears rolling down her face. Chandler pushed back his chair, removed the small box from his jacket pocket, gently pried it open and bent down on one knee in front of the most beautiful woman in the room.

"Monica Geller, will you marry me?"

Monica nodded frantically. "Yes, yes I will!" she shouted happily. Chandler placed the ring on her finger and stood up, kissing her passionately as tears streamed down their faces and the other diners clapped and cheered.

He broke the kiss briefly to whisper in her ear. "I love you so much, Mon."

She giggled. "I love you too Chandler."

She gasped suddenly. "Oh my god, I'm going to be Mrs. Bing. I'm engaged!" she shouted.

Chandler laughed at his girlfriend - no, his fiancée. He couldn't wait to take her home and celebrate with their friends.

"You wanna stay here, or do you want to get the gang together?" he asked.

Her eyes lit up. "Ooh, we've got to tell them! And I have to show Rachel and Phoebe the ring, and I have to call Mom and Dad and -"

He pressed a finger to her lips gently. "So we go home?" he asked.

She nodded. "We go home," she grinned.

Quickly leaving money on the table to cover the meal, Chandler took Monica's hand and led her from the restaurant amidst the cheering diners. A taxi brought them back to their apartment block, where their friends had gathered in their apartment, anxiously awaiting the couple's return.

Just before they reached the apartment, Monica turned to Chandler with a wicked glint in her eye. "You know what would be funny? I bet they're all waiting for us up there. We should pretend that nothing happened - pretend you didn't propose - and see what their reaction is!" she said excitedly.

Chandler raised an eyebrow. "So you don't want to go in and shout, 'CHANDLER AND I ARE ENGAGED!' in your most high-pitched voice?" he joked.

She stared at him. "You know me so well."

He shrugged, and leaned in to kiss the top of her head. "I like to think so," he said, grinning.

Monica threw open the apartment door to see her four friends gathered around the table. She held her arm out in front of her and yelled, "CHANDLER AND I ARE ENGAGED!"

The gang erupted in sounds of congratulations. Ross and Joey went to Chandler to slap him on the back, and Ross offered his own brand of advice.

"If you ever hurt my baby sister, you're going to see a side of me that nobody likes!" Ross warned.

"What's that, your 'I'm Ross and I like fossils' lecture?" Chandler quipped.

Ross glared at him. "No, I'm talking about Red Ross - you don't want to mess with that guy."

Chandler was trying to hold in his laughter, but he caught Joey's eye and the two men descended into a fit of laughter.

"Okay Ross...I won't ever hurt her, I promise," Chandler said, after recovering from his laughing fit.

He looked over at Monica who was positively glowing as she showed Rachel and Phoebe the ring, and they oohed and aahed over it. He could hear mentions of a date, and dresses. Chandler couldn't help but laugh - of course Monica would be planning this on her engagement night. He almost missed Joey exiting the apartment and reappearing moments later with two bottles of champagne. Ross fetched 6 glasses from Monica's cabinets and Joey poured each person a glass and handed it to them.

Chandler made his way to Monica and wrapped his arm around her waist as she rested her head in his shoulder. Joey raised his glass.

"To Chandler and Monica. Happy Anniversary," he said happily.

"To Chandler and Monica," echoed the other three.

Chandler turned to Monica. "Happy Anniversary, Mon. I love you, my fiancée."

"Happy Anniversary, Chandler. I love you too...My fiancé," she replied, grinning.

"You know, it sounds even better when you say it," he laughed.

Hours later, after their friends had gone, Chandler and Monica were left dancing quietly in their apartment.

'Wonderful Tonight' played on the stereo, and Chandler whispered the words in Monica's ear as they danced.

"Darling, you look wonderful tonight," he murmured.

"I love you, Chandler," Monica whispered.

"I love you too, Monica. I'm so happy you said yes."

"Just think about how lucky we are. We each fell in love with our best friend. And now, we both get to spend every day of the rest of our lives with each other. I think that's pretty amazing," she whispered.

Chandler couldn't agree more.

**A/N: AND WE'RE DONE! Thank you to every single person reviewed, whether it was every chapter or just one. And if you guys wouldn't mind, I'd really appreciate a review, just to say if you liked it or not, it would mean a lot :) HUGE THANKS to my beta Musickat18, without whom I probably would have abandoned this! But yay for sticking with it and finishing! **


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